A Computation of Time, in Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, Years, divided into Quarters, with Signs Governing; as also of the Planetary Do­minions.

IT is not fit (in this useful Work) to Omit any thing that may prove profitable and ad­vantageous to the Reader; and since the Exact knowing of Times, and Seasons, is one main thing Requisit, I shall here set it down, not only for the present, but future Years, that (with­out the help of any other Kallender) it may be easily found out.

First then, The Measure of Time arises from Minutes, 60 of them make an Hour, 24 Hours natural Day, &c. 7 Days goe to a Week. 4 Week to a Month, 13 such Lunar Months, a Day, and Hours to a Year, though the Year is commonly di­vided into 12 Solar Months, or so many Signs, [Page 2] which the Sun passes through, in the Circle of a Year; so that one Month carrys more days than another, as in this Antient observing Verse is seen:

So that by this it is plain, that every fourth Year, called Bissextile, or Leap-Year, there is allowed to February 29 Days.

The Year again is divided into 4 Quarters, viz. The Feast of the Annu. of the Blessed Virgin Mary, called Lady-day; March 25 from its beginning, un­der the Signs of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces: The next, the Feast of St. John Baptist, called Mid­summer-day, June 24 extending from the former, under the Signs of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini; the next Quarter, is the Feast of St. Michael, the Arch Angel, called Michaelmas-day, September 29. ex­tending from Midsummer, under the Signs of Can­cer, Leo, and Virgo. The last Quarter-day, is the Feast of the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour, called Christmas-day, December 25; extending from Mi­chaelmas, under the Signs of Libra, Scorpio, and Sagitarius; and these, as I shall hereafter shew, have great Influence, Joyned with the Seven Planets, viz. Sol, Luna, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn; each of these latter, govern­ing a several Day in the Week.

And now, because there are some Festival, and other Days, that are not fixed, but Vary, and fall [Page 3] Higher and Lower, according to the Change of the Moon, I shall shew you, without the help of a common Kallender, how you may find out on what days or times they fall out for ever.

To know what Month and Day the Moveable Feasts and Terms will fall on for many Years to come.

THE next Tuesday, after the New Moon, in February, is Shrove Tuesday; and the precedent Sunday, is Shrove Sunday, let it fall out sooner or later in the month; but if the Moon happen to Change on a Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday falls not on that Day, but on the Tuesday following; and some times, by Reason of there being no New-moon, or a very late one, it falls in march; but the Rule is the same.

The seventh Sunday, after Shrove Sunday, is Whitsunday, and the Thursday next, save one, be­fore Whitsunday, is Ascension-Day, or Holy-Thurs­day: But to make it yet plainer, I shall give you a Table, how they fall out for several Years to come.

And thus may you proceed to know, for a Thousand, or more Years to come. And now, be­cause the Terms are two of them moveable, I shall [Page 4] say but a little of the two fixed Terms; but of the other, I shall lay down Rules how they may be found out in any Year, with their Returns.

As for the fixed Terms, that called Hillary Term, alwaies begins the 23d. of January, and endeth the 12th. or 13th. Day of February; and hath four Re­turns, viz. Quin. Pas. Tre. Pas. Quin. Pas. Cras. Pas.

Michaelmas Term, is the other fixed Term, begin­ing the 23 d. Day of October, and ends the 28 th. of November, and hath 6 returns, viz. Tres. mich. mens. mich. Cras. An. Cras mar. Oct. mar. Quin. mar.

As for the two moveable Terms, they are Trinity Term, and Easter Term; Easter Term always begins 17 Days after Easter Day, and endeth the monday after Ascention Day, and hath five returns, viz. Quin. Pas. Tre. Pas. mens. Pas. Quin. Pas. Cras. Pas.

Trinity Term begins the fryday next after Trinity Sunday; and the Wednesday fortnight after it ends; and hath four returns, viz Cras. Tri. Oct. Tri. Quin. Tri. Tre. Tri. but of the falling out of the movea­ble Terms, to make it yet more plain, I shall give a brief Table how they fall, for some years to come.

And, according to this Table, you may proceed, [Page 5] by the afore-given Directions, to any number of Years, which will be very useful on many Imer­gencies; this Book being the best of Kallanders, for all useful Directions; containing a great deal more than any, may save the Yearly charge and trouble of buying, and carrying about you any other; and by the way farther Note:

Eight Days before any Term begins, the Exchec­quer openeth, except Trinity Term; before which it only opens Four Days, and no more.

Eclipses of the Sun and Moon, how caused, with Rules to know when they will Happen.

AS for the Moons being Eclipsed, it is when the Earth Interposes (in a direct Line) be­tween it, and the Sun; so that the shaddow arises so high, as to reach the Opacus, or nether part of the moons Orb; which only happeneth at a time or Opposition of a Full moon, or a little before or after the Full; and this is when they are in the Sign of the Dragons Head or Tail, which is only the Insecti­on of two Circles, viz. The Ecliptick, and the Different; which Circle, the moon moves about in.

The Eclipse of the Sun is caused, by the Interpo­sition of the moons dark Body between us, and it; so that, till they depart from Opposition, there is an Eclipse, more or less; but the Sun being far big­ger than the moon, cannot suffer a Total Eclipse, though the moon often does, because the Earth is bigger than the moon; and so the shaddow many times Totally covers it from the Sun, for a time.

If the moon at the time of her true Opposition to the Sun, shall be different from either of the nam­ed points, less than 10 Degrees, 21 Minutes, and [Page 6] 20 Seconds; then the moon cannot avoid suffer­ing an Eclipse.

If this Latitude of the moon, at the time of a visible Conjunction, be less than 30 minutes, 4 se­conds, she will Eclipse the Sun; but if the Apparent Latitude of the moon exceed 40 minutes, 5 seconds; then can there be no Eclipse.

Therefore the apparent Latitude, being more than 30 minutes, 40 seconds, and less than 34 minutes, 51 seconds; then in all probability there will hap­pen an Eclipse of the Sun, though not to a very­great degree: And by the Rules at all times, may [Page 7] the Eclipses be found out, as to the time of their happening; and to save your Eyes in gazing on the Sun Eclipsed, take the Image of it in a Mirror or Looking-glass, and by that means you may plainly see how the Eclipses Encreases, and Di­minishes, &c.

Prognosticks, or Predictions, on the Days of the Week, that New Years Day shall fall on; Rela­ting to the Weather, to fall out, throughout the Year: Scarcity and Plenty: Diseases, that will happen to People; also to Cattle.

MAny have considered the whole Year, up­on the Day it enters on, viz. The first of January, being the Circumcision day of our Saviour, commonly called New Years day; and ma­ny Things are Drawn from it, throughout all the Months of the Year, as they fall out, or begin on this day: So that being proper to my Matter, and a stress layed upon them, by many prudent people, knowing in this Art and Science, I shall give my Opinion or Judgment on them, from long Observation.

Unluckey Days in every Month, Dangerous to begin any Business on, Fall Sick, Blood, Purge, Journey, &c.

THE Observation of the Antient Physitians and Astrologers, have found out (by long Experience) that many Days, by the malevolent Effects of the Planets, have proved Dangerous to men, Women, and Children; and, therefore, to Caution them (from Enterprizing any thing of moment on them) have set them down in their Order, as followeth.

In January are Eight Days which ought to be avoided, and these are they, 1. 2. 4. 5. 10. 15. 17. and the 19.

• In February only 3. viz. the 8. 9. 17.
• In March 3, viz. the 15. 16. 21.
• In April there are only 2, viz. the 15. and 21.
• In may there are 3, viz. the 7. 15. and 20.
• In June there are but 2 bad days, viz. 4. 7.
• In July 2, viz. the 15. and 20. days.
• In August there are 2 Unluckey days, 19, and 20.
• In September there are 2, viz. the 6. and 7.
• In October there is but 1, viz. the 6. day.
• In November there are 2, viz. 5. and 19.
• In December there are 5, viz. the 6. 7. 11. 15. 16.

The Canicular, or Dog-days, are ever held Pe­rilous, to fall Sick, to Bleed, take Physick in, or take too much Love Posset between the Sheets, Over-heat ones self with Labour, Travel, or the Like; These begin the 19th day of July, and con­tinue to the 28. day of August.

As for the other days (not mentioned as Bad days) proceed in your Affairs, and Prosper; but, on any of the Ominous days, to fall Sick, is a sign of a Doubtful Recovery, if at all; and those that take a long Journey, begining it on any one of them, will be in danger to fall sick, or get some great hurt by the way, if not die, and never return home: Who ever Weddeth a Wife, on any of these days, will find sorrow and crosses in such a Wed­lock, if not be forced to part in a little time; any great work begun, will not prosper, nor come hap­pily to an end, as expected.

The most remarkable Days in the Year, that are ac­counted Fortunate, to begin any weighty matter on.

SInce the Antients have layed great stress, as well upon the Luckey days, as the Unluckey, it [Page 14] will be Convenient to place them in Order, one after another; and Note (by the way) that tho' I shall name but some few, as exceeding Luckey days, for marriage, Bargains, going a Journey, or begining a Voyage; and what ever else is of weight and moment: Yet all the rest, not marked be­fore to be Unluckey, in each month, are indifferent Luckey, and not to be Neglected, when your Oc­casions require you to Imploy them, lest you be either taxed with sloath, or superstition, in times and seasons.

These are lookt on as Days that bring Blessings with them; yet, over and above,

Ordinary Days through the Year, more successful than others, not Named, already for Luckey Days,

IN January are 3 more particular Happy days, beside what I Named, though the Rest not marked Ill (as I have said) are successful enough, viz. the 16. 18. 26.

• In February there are 4, viz. 10. 19. 27. 28.
• In march there are 2, viz. 14. 28.
• In April there are 3, viz. 13. 22. 27.
• In may there are 5, viz. 3. 5. 7. 11. 19.
• In June there are 4, viz. 10. 17. 20. 27.
• In July there are 6, viz. 1. 13. 19. 21. 27. 30.
• In August there are 3, viz. 3. 7. 9.
• In september there are 5, viz. 4. 8. 11. 15. 19.
• In October there are 3, viz. 1. 8. 13.
• In November there are 4. viz. 3. 9. 11. 15.
• In December there are 3. viz. 9. 13. 17.

And on these Days (favoured by the more Immediate Influence of the Planets) many Won­derful Actions; and Things, have been done, to an Accomplished success, as well by the mighty of the World, as the Ordinary sort: Insomuch, that they have been Caelibrated by the Antients, and Festivals Appointed on them with songs, in praise of what great Atchievements have been done on them; and these Festivals Promulged only for the sake of the Good Luck these days produce: but let me tell you by the by, how­ever, that if you undertake any Unlawful En­terprize, it will not Prosper on these Days: Therefore let your Designs be Good, and fear [Page 16] not the success to your Wish, according to this Prophetick Verse.

Observations on Remarkable Days, to know how the whole Year will succeed, in Weather, Plenty, &c.

IF the Sun shine Clear and Bright on Christmas­day, it promiseth a Peaceable Year, from Cla­mours and Strife, and Fore-tells much plenty to Ensue: But if the Wind Blow stormy, towards the Sun set, it betokeneth sickness, in the spring, and autumn quarters.

If it be Lowering, or Wet, on Childermas or Inno­cents-day, it threatens Scarcity, and a Mortality among the Weaker sort of Young people; but if the day be very Fair, it promiseth plenty.

If New-Years-day in the Morning, open with Duskey Red Clouds, it denotes Strifes and Debates among Great Ones, and many Robberys to happen that Year.

If January 25, (being St Paul's day) be Fair, it promises a happy Year, but if Cloudy, Windy, or Rainy, otherways: hear in this Case what an An­tient Judicious Astrologer.

It is Remarkable on Shrove Tuesday, that as the Sun­shines little or much, on that day, or as other wea­ther happens, so shall every day participate more or less, of such weather till the end of Lent.

Mists, or Hoar Forsts, on the Tenth of March, be­token a plentiful Year, but not without some Dis­eases.

If the Sun shines clear on Palm Sunday, or Easter­day, or either of them, there will be great store of fair Weather, plenty of Corn, and other Fruits of the Earth.

If it Rain on Ascension-day, though never so lit­tle, it fore-tells a Scarcity to Ensue that Year, and Sickness particularly among Cattle: But if it be fair and pleasant, then the contrary, and pleasant wea­ther mostly till Michaelmas.

If it happens to Rain on Whitsunday, much Toun­der and Lightning will follow, Blasts and Mil­dews, &c. but if it be Fair, great plenty of Corn.

If Midsummer-day be never so little Rainy, the Hazel and Wall-nutt will be Scarce: Corn Smutted in many places, but Apples, Pears, and Plumbs, will not be hurt.

If on St. Swithen's-day it prove Fair, a temperate Winter will follow: But if Rainy, stormy, or Windy, then the contrary.

If St. Bartholomew's-day be Misty, the Morning beginning with a Hoar Frost, then Cold weather will soon ensue, & a sharp Winter, attended with many biteing Frosts.

[Page 18] If Michaelmas-day be Fair, the Sun will shine much in the Winter, though the Wind at North East will frequently Reign long, and be very sharp and niping.

If in the Fall of the Leaf, in October, many of them Wither on the Boughs, and Hang there, it be­tokens a Frosty Winter, with much Snow.

Other Curious Observations on the seasons of the Year, as to the Weather that will happen, and such like Matters.

GReat Observations to predict what will fall out, have been made upon Oak Apples in September: if Cut, they have Spiders in them, it betokens Blast, and Infection: if Flys, a dry Season, if Maggots, a great encrease of the Fruits of the Earth, if spongy and hollow, without any thing in them, scarcity of the Fruits of the Earth the ensuing Year, if early Ripe, the Winter will soon advance very sharp, if dry, a dry Winter, if very Moist, much Wet, drisling Snow, Rain, and Cold Moist Winds ensue; if the inner part (between both) fair and clear, then a plentyful Summer will ensue, the Weather Fair and Temperate.

Another Observation is made on the Beech Tree, which note on this manner: On All-hallows-day, Cut off some of the Bark, and after that a Chip, or little piece of Wood, cut it, if it be very dry, then the ensuing Winter will be dry, but pretty warm and temperate, if moist, a wet Winter.

If on St. Andrew's-day, in the Evening, much Dew or Wet remain on the Grass, it betokens a wet season to follow, if dry, then the contrary.

[Page 19] If the Nutt Trees Flower much, it betokens great plenty of Corn that Year: yet a sickly season in Autumn, and a cold Winter.

Infallible signs of Weather in all seasons throughout the Year, by the Planets, Elements, Creatures, &c.

SInce many have made Conjectures of weather, and frequently failed in their Predictions, I have now thought fit, for the advantage of the industrious Husband Man, and others, to lay down unerring Rules and Observations, whereby the various sorts of Weather, with their suddain Changes may be known at all times, not only for one Year, but for Ever, viz. Rain, Wind, excessive Heat or Cold, snow, Hail, Frost, Thunder and Lightning; sudden Whirl­winds and Tempests, &c. and of these in their order.

Infalliable signs of Rain, and drisling wet Weather, taken by Observation of the Planets, and other stars, Elements, Creatures, &c.

MArk the Sun Rising, and if it looks broader than usual, then many moist Vapours are gathering from the Sea, the Air is thickening, and the Sun-beams diffused in it, makes the Face of that Planet show greater than usual, and in a little time you will see the Clouds muster, and spread the face of the Heavens, and the Air densing into a watery Body, and if this happen in Hot Weather, viz. summer or autumn, violent showers will fall, but not of long continuance: But if in Winter or Spring, setled Rains, but more moderate.

If the Sun Rises with a blewish Circle enclining to white, the Air is gross, and Rain will soon ensue.

[Page 20] The Sun setting in a black Cloud, and diffusing or spreading its Beams pailish to the North, and South, Prognosticates a Rainey Night and Morning.

The Sky of a Dusky-red in the Morning, and the Sun Rising pale, an Over-casting will soon Ensue, and Rain quickly follow upon it, attended with whisking Winds and Florreys.

The often shifting of the Wind is a sign of Rain, especially in Winter and Spring.

Many small Clouds at North-West in the Evening, show that Rain is gathering, & will suddenly fall.

The Moons Horns blunt at its Rising Three Days after the Change, denotes Rainy Weather for that Quarter, but the other Quarters seasonable Weather.

The Stars seeming bigger than usually, pale, dull, and not twinkling, show the Air is thickening to Rain, which will soon fall.

Many Stars appearing in the Night, seeming a greater Number than usual, the Wind at East in Summer, fore-shows sudden Rain.

The signs of Rain by Creatures, &c.

WHen the Heron or Bitron flys low, the Air is Gross, and thickening into showers.

When Kine view the Sky, stretching up their Heads, and snuffing the Air, moist Vapours are En­gendring; and the cause of their doing so, is their sensibleness of the Airs sudden alteration from Dry to Wet, and sudden Rain will ensue, though at that time the Sun may shine out.

The Chattering of Swallows, and their Flying low about Pounds and Lakes, denotes Rain.

The Froggs much Croaking in Ditches and Pools, &c. in the Evening, fore-tell Rain in little [Page 21] time to follow: Also the sweating of stone Pillars, or Tombs, denotes Rain.

The Ants Removing their Eggs, denotes Rain, for by a secret Instinct in Nature, finding the Air changed into much Moistness, they carry them to a place of dryer security.

The Crows flocking in large Flights, holding their Heads upward as they Fly, and Crying louder than usual, is a sign of Rain, as also their stalking by Ponds and Rivers, and sprinkling themselves.

The often Doping and Diving of Water Fowles, fore-shows Rain is at hand.

The Peacocks much Crying, denotes Rain.

Cattle leaving off to Feed, and hasting to shelter under Hedges, Bushes, Trees, Out-houses, &c. show sudden showers of Rain are coming.

And of this to conclude Rainy weather, I shall tell you a pleasant, but true story.

A Gentleman who Travelled much, seeing a Sheepherd by the Road side tending his Flocks, and other Cattle, demanded of him, if it would con­tinue that Day as it then was, for the Sun shown out: The Sheepherd looking on his Cattle, told him, it would Rain very much in an Hour, and extreamly Wet him, unless he got shelter: The Gentleman smiled at this, and would not believe him, but as he said, so it proved, for immediately a little Cloud Rising at South-West, came driving on with the Wind, and spread it self, so that the Sky was covered with prodigious blackness, and tho' the Gentleman Rid hard to get to a Town, about five Miles from him, the Rain e'er he reached it, poured down so prodigiously, that he was Wet to the Skin, and remembering what the Sheepherd said, upon his Return finding him in the same place, [Page 22] he Requested he would tell him how he came so precisely to know the Change of the Weather; the Sheepherd at first Refused it, but for Half a Crown (after much Importunity) consented, and when the Gentleman expected he should Express himself in Astrological Terms, he only said, Sir, do you see yonder Py'd Colt, pointing to him, well said the Gentleman, and what of that, why says the Sheep­herd, when he Runs his Head into the Hedge, and Turns his Arse to the Weather-gage, then it will certainly Rain, though the Weather promises at that time otherways to those that are Ignorant of Skill in Prognosticating: This may be (says the Gen­tleman) but what will it signify to me on my Jour­ny, seeing I can't carry such an Almanack as your Colt in my Pocket; however the Gentleman was highly pleased, and concluded his Mony well laid out: But here I have Out-done the Sheepherd, in giving so many Prognosticks, that be where you will, you cannot miss of some of them to Inform you.

Signs of Wind, and sudden Storms arising, Prognosti­cated by the Planets, Elements, Creatures, &c. in all seasons of the Year for ever.

I [...] the Moon blushes, and is Redder than usual, Winds are engendering, and storms will arise.

If at Sun-Rising pale spots seem to appear in its Orb, and dazle there, strong Winds will ensue from the South, the Wind soon shifting thither in what ever Quarter before it was.

Meteors, or as some call them, Stars shooting swiftly, and spreading a long Train of Light, fore­run Winds that will soon ensue.

[Page 23] Chaff Leaves, Feathers, Thistle Down, or such light things, whisking about, and turning round, fore­show Tempestuous Winds.

A murmering noise in the Woods, when little Wind is stiring, foretells a storm is Engendering.

Cormorants, and other Sea Fowl flocking to shore, and often Crying, denotes great storms to ensue.

[Page 24] Cattle on a sudden hasting to their stalls, housing-places, or other shelter, do the like.

The Herns exceeding high flying, denotes the Air is moved with Winds, in the Upper Region, and that sudden storms will ensue.

The much Whispering, and Rusling among Reeds and Flaggs, in Meadow-Ditches, and Marshes, Prognosticates the Wind is gathering in the Air.

Small scattered Clouds to the South West, that fly high, lye as it were in Ridges, and seem not to move, engender Winds, often producing Whirl-Winds.

A kind of a Murmering of Thunder from the North, foretells great Tempests will arise.

A Reddish Circle about the Moon at the Full, de­notes much Wind.

A Red Lowring Morning, is the Forerunner of Wind.

If in a Lamp, the Oyl purls and sparkles, the Wick grows hard, that it Burns dimly, it foretells a strong Wind engendring, and will suddenly Rise.

If there appear Fiery spots, or those of a Reddish Colour in the Sun upon its Setting, much Wind will ensue speedily.

Signs of the Winds shifting or Changing in the several Points of the Compass.

VVHen the Sun Rises with many pale spots, appearing in its Orbe, and part of it Vailed in a Cloud, the Wind in what Point soever, it will soon shift to the South.

When the Wind has been setled 24 Hours or more, in any of the Full Points, as North, East, West, and South, when it begins to shift, it will not settle [Page 25] till it comes to the opposite Point, as from the North to the South, and so from the Full East, to Full West, and so of the Angular Points, as from North East, to South East.

Let the VVind be in what Quarter it will, upon the New Moon it presently shifts.

When the Generallity of the Clouds Rack, or Drive with the wind, yet many in little Fleeces or long strakes, lying higher, and appear not to move, the wind is Flagging, and will quickly shift.

Signs of storms Ceasing.

A Hasty shower of Rain falling when the wind has Raged for some Hours, soon Allays it.

If a storm Rise with the Sun, at the Falling of the Sun it will begin to Decline, and about Mid-Night Cease.

If the Water Ruckles much, and frequent Bubles arise, the storm is of a short continuance.

If a Halcyon or Kings Fisher, a Bird so called, At­temps the Seas when the wind Blows hard, it is a sign it is Abating, and will soon Cease.

The uneasiness of Swine in their stys, and their endeavouring to be Enlarged, denotes the Wind in a little time to Cease.

The Merry Chiriping of Sparrows does the like, as also the Moles coming out of their Holes.

Signs of Excessive Hot Weather.

LIttle strings like Cobwebs, flying in the Air in a Morning show the Heat will be much, espe­cially for the season.

[Page 26] A Glissening on the Grass at the Sun Rise, like the Threads of Spinners, denotes much Heat in Sum­mer, or Autumn.

The steeming and smoaking of standing Waters, when the Sun is about setting, foretells a Hot Day to ensue; for then the Mineral Fires are forcing their way to add to the Suns Enflaming the Air.

Great swarms of Gnats abroad in Marshes and Fenny Places in the Evening, foretells Hot weather to ensue.

Many Frogs coming out of the water on the Banks of Ditches, Ponds, &c. presage Hot weather to ensue.

The Plover or Lapwing Flying high, and then low, making almost continual Crys, foreshows much Heat to follow.

Signs of Cold weather, or hard winter.

THE Suns setting in a Mist, looking Red, and Broader than usual.

The Clearness of the stars, and their much Twinkling.

Starlings, Feldefars, and other Birds of a Hot Nature, hastening in great Flocks or Flights from the Northern to the southern Climates.

Cold Dews, and Morning Rymes on St. Bartholo­mew's Day; and the three succeeding Days.

A Hoar Frost on Michaelmas Day in the Morn­ing, denotes a hard winter.

The Swallows going away soonner than usual, denotes a Cold season to ensue.

The Birds laying up Haws, slows, and other stores in Old Nests, or Hollows of Trees, foretells a Hard winter.

[Page 27] Sea-Pys Flocking from Salt water about Fresh Rivers, or Lakes, signify a sudden alteration of the weather to much Cold.

The Owl much Hooting in the Night, at Michael­mas Tide, denotes a Hard Frosty winter.

Ignis Fatuus, or Will with whisp; much and of­ten appearing in Moorish Ground, fore-runs a Cold season.

Prognosticks of Fair weather by the Planets, Ele­ments, and Creatures, &c.

THE Moon at four Days Old having her Horns sharp and pointed, very Bright, it predicts fair weather till the Full, if not to the Months End.

The stars shine Clear and Bright, seeming to Dart or Shoot out pointed Rays.

Little Clouds sinking Low, as into Valleys at South East, and South VVest.

The Sun Rising in the Morning Fair and Bright, and setting at Night Blushing, without Spots or Black Clouds near it.

The Larks Rising very high, and continuing sing­ing a long time.

The Halcyons, and other Sea Fowl leaving the shores, and Flocking to sea.

Mists or smoakings on the top of the water.

The Rainbow appearing after a shower, and the Blew and Yellow part of it very Bright, and Ligh­tish Colour.

Fish often Rising, and Bubbling at the top of of the water; Cattle Feeding without often look­ing up, or about them.

Scattering white Clouds, like Fleeces of Wool to the North VVest.

[Page 28] Spiders VVebbs on the Grass, and Trees, foretells much fair weather.

Bees flying far from their Hives, and coming late Home, do the like.

A Bright, Clear, or Shineing Circle about the Moon at the Full, promises fair weather, predicts ma­ny fair Days to ensue.

Much Dew on sheeps wool in a Morning, is a sign of fair weather.

Signs of Hail (violent and moderate) by the Planets, Elements, &c.

IF the Sun at Rising cast a Glittering Light, as if it Reflected on some Lucid Matter, though few or no Clouds at that time appear, the Vapours are Condensed in the Cold Region, and fore-runing in­to Clouds, that will scatter Violent Hail.

If (in the Morning) the Eastern Skys before the Suns Rising look pale, and Refracted Beams appear in Thick Clouds, great storms of Hail will ensue, to the great Damage of Corn, Vineyards, Fruit Trees, &c.

If the Clouds look Fleecy, Dusky, White enclin­ing to Yellowish, and move but Heavily, though the wind is pretty stiff, the Vapours Composing them, are Engendered and Frozen, as Virgil says:

If the Clouds appear of a whitish blue, and Expand much, it will be small Hail, or Drizling; for that happens in VVinter, or the Spring, when it cannot be carryed high enough to be Condensed with a greater quantity of Cold, because the Refracted Sun [Page 29] Beams, are weak in their Operation, and this ap­pears by a Curling, or Curdling in the Clouds as they Rise, and in appearance Expand themselves.

Signs of Snow, and Drisly sleet, &c.

CLouds like Woolly Fleeces, appearing high, and moving heavily, the middle a darkish pale, and the edges white, carry Snow in them, that in winter Frozen in Sheets, by Cold East, North East, or North VVest Winds, pressing hard on the Air (no longer able to bear them up) shiver in the Fall, and break into Flakes, resembling many Fi­gures, as Stars, Leaves of Trees, Flowers, &c. If the Clouds be pressed nearer the Earth, the Vapours so Frozen is Grosser, and the Flakes are Larger, but more Remote, thiner, and so fall in a Sleet, or little Flakes.

The Suns looking pale at Rising, the much Low­ing of Cattle in the field; the Croaking of Ravens, and Birds flaging their Wings, fore-show it.

Drisle is a kind of a Ryme or Mists Ascending, and Freezing, and to be foreseen as the aforegoing.

Prognosticks of Forsty Weather by the Planets, Ele­ments, Creatures, &c.

THE Stars looking bright, and twinkling much, shows a Cold Air, Engendering Erosts.

The Sky seeming fuller of stars than usual, and the wind suddenly shifting to the East, or North East, after the Change of the Moon, in the Winter, denotes a setling Frost of long continuance.

The Owles Hooping often, with a louder Note than usual, denotes a Frost at hand.

[Page 30] The Suns setting Red in a Mist, and a white Fogg creeping low in Marshy and Moorish Ground, shows the Air is Condensing into Cold.

The Seacole Fire Burning Blue (that is) a great part of the Flame, and scorching more than usual, foretells a frost at hand, or if it be begun, its con­tinuance.

The Moon shineing bright, with sharp Horns after the Change, denotes the Air is Rarefying, and Cold winds will soon set in to freeze the Earth.

A Hoarey Ryme sticking on Trees, Bushes, and Pales, in the Morning, foretells sharp bleak winds will soon set in, and contract a bitter frost.

Little Clouds hovering low in the North, when none any where else appear, fore-runs Cold freezing Winds and Snow.

Signs of a Thaw in any great hard frost, &c.

THE Suns looking waterish at its Rising, is a sign the frost will break.

The wind having held long and extream sharp in one Point, suddenly shifting; brings a Relenting, if not a thorow Thaw.

The Suns setting in Blueish Clouds; and casting Re­fracted Beams into them, bids the frost prepare to be gone.

The stars looking dull, and the Moons Horns blun­ted, foretells a Change in this Nature.

Of wonderful signs in the Heavens, and on the Earth, whence they Proceed; and what they Prognosticate of strange Events.

I now come to treat of Meteors, and strange sights, and Impressions in the Air, and on the Earth; [Page 31] Prognosticating many Wonderful & Amazing Things to ensue; so far I conceive Proper to the Subject in Hand.

Comets, or Blazing-stars; with Astrological Observa­tions, what they are, and Prognosticks on them.

A Comet or Blazing-star is formed of an Exhala­tion, hot and dry, being a great quantity of Unctious Vapours, drawn up into the highest Regi­on, and there, by their own Agitation, and the Heat they meet with approaching the Region of fire, are [Page 32] Kindled, appearing when the Sun Beams are of it, like a real star, with a Blazing Tail, though it be many Thousand Miles beneath the stary Region, and sometimes it moves after the motion of the Air, which is Circular, but it never goeth down out of the Compass of sight, and so continue till the mat­ter that feeds them is Consumed, and then Expire; the time of their Generation is oftenest in Harvest, or Autumn, for in the spring there is too much Moisture, and too little Heat to Generate them: In summer there is too much Heat, that will Disperse and con­sume the matter, that it cannot be Joyned together; and in winter, the Cold and Moisture contrary to the Nature of a Comet opposes it.

These fore-run many Calamitys, and the Reason is this:

1st. Great Droughts ensue, because the Comet cannot be Generated without great Heat, and much Moisture is Consumed in the Burning of it.

2d. Barrenness of the Earth, because the fatness of the Earth is drawn up, where of the Comet chiefly consists; so that the Earth wanting that Oyly sub­stance, grows sterile, and produces not as other times.

3d. Pestilence, for as much as this kind of Ex­halation in long Burning, Expiriug or going out, Diffuseth it self, and Corrupteth the Air with a Poy­sonous Infection, and that drawn in by us as our com­mon Breath, Infecteth the Bodys of Men with Plagues, Violent Feavours, or other Excessive Hot Diseases; and the like Effects they consequently have on the bodys of Beasts that suck in the same Airs, working on them by Murrens, swellings, Breakings out of Boiles, Blaiues, and the like, proceeding from Poy­sonous Infection.

[Page 33] The Learned have Noted that after the appearing of Comets, other great Calamitys befall; as Wars, Seditions, Changes in state; the Death of Princes & Noble Men: And thus Virgil:

For (say they) at what time the Comets do shine, there be many Hot and Dry Exhalations in the Air, which Influence the Natural Temper of the Hot, Dry, and Cholerick Persons, whereby they are quickly stirred to Anger, to Raise Wars, Tumults, or Con­tentions: Also those Nice Bodys, Living at Ease, are of a soft delicious Temper; so the Infection seizes them sooner than Labourious hard-fareing Bodys, for in Plagues it has been Observed, that the most de­licate Fed and Tender Bodys, are soonest Infected and swept away: I mighs enlarge on this, but my proposed Brevity constrains me to Desist, and pro­ceed to other Matters.

Many Suns appearing in the Heavens at once, the Cause, and what they Predict:

OFten to the Appearance of Men, two, or ma­ny times three Suns have appeared in the Fir­mament at once, though in reality but one real Sun, the other being the Images or Impressions of it, inden­sed Air, or watery Clouds, for they are nothing but the Idols, or Image of the real Sun, that daily en­lightens the World, Represented by its Beams, Im­pressing in an equally thick and smooth gross Air, [Page 34] or Cloud, placed on the side of the sun, and some­times on both sides, into which the sun-beams being Received, as into a Glass, expresseth the likeness & fashion of Light, which is in the sun so appearing to us, who are a vast distance beneath it, as if there were many suns.

This thick and watery Air or Cloud, is not direct­ly under the sun, for when it is, it makes the Circle about it called the Crowns or Garlands, or if it were opposite to the sun, it would form the Rainbow, of which I shall speak hereafter, but on the sides where the Images may be best Reflected and Represented.

These are oftnest seen in the Morning and Eve­ning, about the Rising and Going down of the sun, though sometimes at other Hours, and sometimes there Appear many little suns, like unto stars, which are caused by many little divided Clouds, as the Reflection of a Man's Face appears in all parts of a broken Glass; or as a Multiplying Glass makes one thing seem many.

The appearing of these Phenomenas, naturally betoken Tempests, and much Rain to ensue; because they cannot appear but in a Watery disposition of the Air.

Also if they appear on the south side of the sun, they signify more Violent showers than on the North, and the reason is the hot southern Vapour is sooner resolved into Water, than the colder Northern ones.

As for a Supernatural signification, they have been Noted to have portended the Contention of Princes for Kingdoms, as not long before the Con­tention of Galba, Otho, and Vitellus for the Empire Rome, three Suns appeared; also a little before the Slaughter of Lewis, King of Hungary, in a Battel a­gainst the Turks, were seen three Suns, denoting [Page 35] the three Princes that afterward Contended for the Kingdom, viz. Ferdinand King of Bohemia, John Vayvode of Transilvania, and Solyman Emperor of the Turks.

The appearing of many Moons in the Night, and what they Prognostick of Good or Bad.

AS for the cause of many Moons appearing, or seeming to do so at once, I need not repeat it again but only tell you the cause is the same as that of the Suns; Plyne calls these Night suns, be­cause they joyn with the Light of the Moon, and Augment its Light in wonderful measure, whilst they continue.

They foretell great Rains, and a wet season to follow, producing Land Floods, and doing much Harm to Corn and Grass, if grown up; also the Overflowing of Rivers, and the Breaking in of the sea; and in general a moist wet Year (or part of a Year as they fall Earlier or Later) to ensue to the End; which will occasion scarcity of Corn, and o­ther Fruits of the Earth.

Of the Rainbow (how caused) and what it Prog­nosticates.

HAving promised to say something more parti­cularly of the Rainbow, which gives a great insight to the weather, immediately to follow; I shall Treat of it here, as it most Probably follows in Order.

The Rainbow is the Apparition of certain Colours, in a Cloud Opposit against the sun, in a half Circle, [Page 36] as Virgil seems to Hint, when he makes Iris or the Rainbow Messengers to Juno, viz.

The sun Reflecting on a Cloud at a distance from it side-ways, and Refracting its Beams there lively by its Light, shews the various Colours the Clouds is Composed of; Posidonius Terms the Rainbow the Suns Looking-glass, wherein its Image is Represented, and that the blue Colour is the proper Colour of the Air or Cloud, and the red of the sun, that the other are mixed Colours, or Colours of Comixtion; and indeed the Colours more admirably lively than can be Represented any where else; but since Rainbows are so often Visible, I think I may spare the Labour of a particular Description of them; therefore I proceed to what they Prognosticate in Relation to Weather, viz.

From that part the Rainbow first begins to break, or vanish, winds will arise, and bring great showers.

If the Rainbow vanishes as it were altogether, fair weather will ensue.

If it be broken in many parts, Tempestuous winds are gathering in the Air.

If (after it appears) the Colours wax grosser and darken, Rain is gathering, if lighter, and the Co­lours fairer, the contrary; and guess of other As­spects in the Rainbow.

Of the Ignis Fatuus, or Fires that lead People astray in the Night time, called the Will with the Wisp.

THese in Popish, and superstitious times, were held to be Souls that had escaped out of Purga­tory, to desire the prayers of the living, upon the earth, for their admission to Paradice, because they were often seen in Church yards, where Unctious vapours arise from the steem of dead bodies, since they are called Will with the Wisp; or as the Latins call them, Ignis Fatuus, foolish fire; because they are rather a fire in shew, than a real one in truth.

It is a Fire, or a resemblance of it, that seemeth to go before men, or follow them in the Night, & lead them out of their way into waters, or other dangerous places; it is a weak exhalation kindled by reason of a violent motion in a cold night, in the lowest Region of the Air; for in the hot season they appear not: It is imbodied by the cold, and shut in as it were in a bladder, and its motion is from that of the Air; for that being as it were of a piece, tho' in innumerable particles, is agitated with violent motions, and as the body of a Man moves in break­ing it, the whole sensibly suffers, which makes this Nocturnal Light move swiftly, and press towards the Party moving, it dancing and playing about him: So that the afright, and the many times, by that means in a dark Night, makes him wonder, and being once out, he knows not how to get into the right way again, and often Mischief en­sues, by his tumbling into one bad place or ano­ther.

When these Exhalations rise much, which they mostly do in moorish or foggy Grounds: In Au­tumn, [Page 38] and the beginning of Winter, they fore-run a cold sharp winter, but a fruitful summer to ensue, because it shews the cold Vapours will not rise high, but remain nearer the Earth, and oppress it with still Frosts, more than blustering Winds; and again, in so doing the Earth in Winter will spend little of its heat, or Evaporate its Unctious quality to any great degree, which working with its nitrous part, is the cause of Fertility, and causes encrease of all kind of Vegetives, to a very great de­gree more than ordinary.

Of the Flame that appears on the Hair and Beards of Men, and upon that of Beasts.

THis by some has been taken to be wonderfully strange, and of such Terror, that some hath been extreamly frighted by it, supposing it was the Devil come to involve them in sulpherous flames, when the cause is really natural; for these Fires are sometimes clamy Exhalations scattered a­broad in the Air in small parts, which in the night, by the resistance of the cold, agitating in a violent motion, are kindled, and rushing on where they find opposition, by reason of their clamy nature, stick, and appear a blue fire, very affrighting to those at a distance, when the per­sons on whom they fasten, perhaps perceive them not, or at least not presently.

When they are much abroad, they fore-tell high Winds, and a blustering stormy Winter, a wet Spring, and a dry Summer, very sickly, but fruit­ful.

Strange Apparitions of Armies, and other wonder­ful sights in the Air, how caused.

Apparitions in the Air, are only Exhalations in the lowest or highest Regions of it, not really Fires, but seem so by the Sun or Moon re­flecting Light on them.

The Light in this case is instead of white, and the dark shadow sets off the Figures; such Appa­ritions seem terribly to represent, and (diversly mixed accordingly to the divers dispositions of the Exhalation, they cause variety of colours, ac­cording to the thickness or thinness of the Exha­lation, presenting to the imagination of fond fan­ciful Mortals) Armies in Battel, Seas, and Navys engaging on them, spacious Fields, Houses, Ca­stles, and the like; though indeed but Airy Phan­toms: However they fore-run Storms, and are accompanied with flashes of Lightning very often, and in the hotter weather, with prodigious claps of Thunder, if the Clouds are gross, and full of water, looking a greenish dark in the middle, tho' about the edges, the Light may as in the thin­ner parts, paint various Colours, being composed of hot and moist Exhalations; and though these are looked on as supernatural causes, they are no more than the effect of Nature.

The Kinds of Earth-Quakes, their cause, and signs, fore-running them, and what they pontend.

IN this Treatise I cannot but make some Ob­servation on the Causes of Earth-Quakes, con­sidering of late Years, we have been so much a­larumed [Page 40] with their prodigious Effects, and so few people know what natural Effect produces them, for wonderful Things are related by Historians concerning them; but the best Opinions given of their Causes, and the most probable, is, That extraordinary quantities of heat and cold, shut up in the vast Caverns of the Earth, contending for mastery, and pressing violently to get out, but find Opposition by the too much dryness or moi­sture of the Porus parts of the Earth, seek a way to vent themselves by force, and break their way through all Opposition.

The Signs of an Earth-Quake being at hand, is, the much tosing of the Sea, or other great Waters, when no visible cause is seen to occasi­on it, for then the Vapours labouring to force their way to open Air, first finding a more easy passage there, than on the firm Land, first make their way, and boyl up the Waters, as it were to force through them.

Also a cold Calmness of the Air is another Sign; for then the Exhalation that should be a­broad, is forcibly pent up in the Earth, and struggling to get out with violence.

Others Observe, that when the Sky is as it were Clear, some long strakes of Clouds are how­ever seen; but the most certain, is a rumbling murmuring Noise in the Earth, and a kind of whistleing Wind whisking about the Air, being troubled; for then the fore-runner, or thinest part of the Vapour is spining out, to make way for the greater Shock; and more violent gross shock of it; yet however, the Cause is the same, notwithstanding the manner of shaking the Earth is different; as I shall briefly Note.

[Page 41] The First is when the Earth is shaken Lateral­ly or to one side, which is when the whole force of the enclosed Vapour driveth to one side or place, and there is no contrary Motion to Let it, if the Vapour be weak, it only makes a Rocking or Trembling; but if violent, breaks out, over­throwing the mightiest Buildings from their Foun­dations; and by such an Earth-Quake (in the Reign of Tyberius the Roman Emperor) twelve great Ci­ties in Asia were levelled in one, and most of their Inhabitants buried in their Ruins, and sad have those been of late at Naples in Italy; also in the Island of Scicily, at Lima, and Jamaica in the West-Indies; I will not mention what happened in England lately; which was rather a Trepidation, than an Earth-Quake: Yet it caused much Conster­nation; and the excessive quantity of Vapours, that then effused, in all probability, have occasioned the Climate to be the Colder to this day.

A second kind of Earth-Quake lifts up the Earth, so that falling on a sudden, and lets it fall again; this happens when the Wind in a great Mass strug­gles on a sudden to Evaporate; but the Oppositi­on is too strong, and forces it down again.

The Third is that which breaks its way violently through, causing openings, and gaupings of the Earth; so that Towers, Cities, Mountains, and huge standing Waters have been swallowed up and lost: All these are very Terrible, and are in the hot season accompanied with prodigious Thunders and Lightnings; & the Vapours pressing too much infection upon the Air, before it can be refined and purged, it Infects the Bodies of Men and Beasts, causing mortal Diseases; and the Earth having spent so much, that it cannot in a plentiful manner assist [Page 42] to produce fertility, a scarcity ensues not only for the present, but for some Years after, till the Re­cruit comes to make the Ground more fertil, &c.

Signs fore-running Thunder, Lightning, &c.

MEteors shooting in the Night in summer time, denotes the Air Inflamed with much Heat, and that Thunder and Lightning will ensue.

Many Clops and Clefts in the Ground, signify that the fiery Vapours are Ascended from the Earth, and have so Dryed and Parched it in their passage; so that the fire being mounted so soon as thick Clouds Over-cast the Sky, the grosser part of the fire Descen­ding, and strugling with the watery Clouds to get a passage through, is that which is called the Light­ning.

If no Clouds appear in sultry Weather, and the Sun sets Red and Fiery, great Flashes will appear in the North, & North West, which is called Fulgetrum, and is Lightning; but not meeting with Opposition, it carrys no Thunder with it, though springing from the same Cause, but wanting Opposition, the Noise is not heard.

Of sudden Whirl-winds, and surprizing Tempests.

VVHirl-winds are Vapours suddenly Rising out of the Earth, and gathering in the Air, imbodyed in Clouds, and stretching them, break forth Violently; so forcing their way to the Earth, with much Fury in a Narrow Compass, as it were inclosed, they Circle Round, and Hurry things a­bout Violently, often Over-turning Houses, Barns, Sheep Cots; and Lifting People, and Cattle into the [Page 43] Air, letting them Fall again many times to their Destruction, though in these Countrys they are not so Violent, as others nearer the Line, where Va­pours are carryed up more violently by the Heat.

The sings that fore-run them, is a troubled Sky, the Whisking and Circling Light Things about, when as yet there appears little or no Wind, a Murmering heard in the Air, the Air beating down right, as it were upon the Water, and making it Wrinkle; Trees Whisking in one place, and not in another.

Approved Rules for Manageing Husbandry, or Rural Affairs, during the Twelve Months of the Year for ever.

Signs of Murrein, Rot, or such like Destroying Dis­eases in Cattle; how to Prevent or Remedy them.

CAttle are one main Support of the Nation, af­fording so many Commodities to Man, so that without their doing Well, and Multiplying, we should be but in a Bad Condition; therefore it ought to be the Care of those who are most Concerned with them, and to whose particular Advantage they more Immediately Redound, to look Carefully to them, and secure their Health as much as may be; and because Murreins among Larger Cattle, and Rots among the Smaller, are the most Fatal of Diseases, and sweep them away by Herds and Flocks, I shall (from long Experience) show the nearest way to fore-see the approaching Danger, which coming for want of such Precaution, or Fore-sight, has Ruin­ed many; and having fore-shewed it, tell how it may be Helped, if in spight of Care it takes Effect; which sometimes it will do.

Signs of Murrein that do befal Cattle.

IF the Moon change 3 days before St. Bartholomew's Day, it will be a sickly Year amongst Cattle; but this is not the Rule I intend to Direct you by, for the observance of the particular above-mentio­ned; but after that Day is over, and no Rain fal­len in the Night, go as soon as it is day into the Fields of Pasture, where your Cattle are to be kept, and lying down with your Eye against the Suns rising, as even as you can with the surface of the Earth, and if you perceive a glistning, like Spider threads, or a white jelly froth or foam on the Grass then Infectious Vapours are beginning to Rise out of the Earth, and to fall down in poisonous Dews, threatning Infection to the larger sort of Cattle espe­cially; therefore (for a while) feed them on highe and dryer grounds; but if no such thing at this time can be discerned, by reason the weather may be hot and draw up that Jelly, or whiteness of corrupted Dew, look immediately at the time ordered on Mi­chaelmas day in the morning; and if you observe it, then it will have the like effects, though somewhat weaker, and the Air less Corrupted: To prevent therefore this Murrein, Long-sought; or as some call it, Gurget: If you are constrained to Pasture your Beasts, bleed them as soon as ever the Leaf be­gins to fall; peg their Ears and Dew-laps with Hele­bore, or Bears-foot, a Plant so called; drench them with Savin and Rue, boyled in strong Ale, and give-them a scowring; and this will prepare them to re­sist the pestilential Air, and mainly contribute to the preserving them.

If you find however that any of your Beasts (af­ter [Page 49] the afore-named Caution) be swelled under the Jaws, ogainst the Throat-boul; then draw forth its Tongue, and open a Vein that lyeth under it, an Inch and a half long-ways, and there will corrupt blood, and infectious water issue out; then having burnt Bay-salt and Allum, mix them with Vinegar, and rub it well into the wound; this done, slt the Hyde where the swelling outwardly appears, and draw the Skin, so that you make a hollowness be­tween that and the swelled Flesh; beat together Spear-grass, burnt Salt, and Butter, put this kind of Poultis into the hollow, between the Skin and the Flesh, and stitch it together; but not so close, but the infectious Matter may evacuate.

This done, take a lump of the bluest Clay you can get, about four pound weight, boyl it in two quarts or more of Man's stale Urine, so much as (the whole being stirred, after well boyling) will become thick, bruise a good handful of the under bark of young Elder, add this with a handful of Salt, and a quarter of a pound of rasty Bacon, well mashed and beaten to pieces, stir them continually, till the Ingreedi­ents be as thick as pap; then bath the Beasts Face from the Ears downwards, towards the slit, as hot as he may endure it; so do three times a day, till the swelling is abated, separating the Infected from the Sound Cattle, for fear of its spreading among them, more than otherwise it would: Then with an Oyntment made of Butter, Tarr, and Bees-wax, Anoint the Sore Place as hot as may be; and in so ordering the Beast will Recover, unless exceeding far gone before taken in hand.

The like measures may be taken with Swine, for the violent swellings in their Throat and Jaws, con­tracted [Page 50] by an Infection through foul feeding, and bad Airs, disearned by the like symptoms.

Prognosticks of a Rot which fall upon Sheep.

IF it has been a hot close Summer, great heat drops often falling, and little Thunder, then on St. Luke's Day, which is the 18. of October, make the Observations as before directed in the morning, if the Sun rise clear, otherwise do it as well as you can, and taste the Dews upon the Grass, if they be bitter or brackish, the sign is apparent, that it is likely to be an unhealthy year for Sheep, and a fore­runner of the Rot amongst them, if great precau­tion be not had to prevent it, especially if they be suffered to feed among old Grass that has not been mowed, in moist wet low Grounds; for then taking in a great deal of water, it makes their Skins loose, and their Lungs full of a Flegmatick water that Rots them. Consider then in the first place, how they ought to feed to preserve them, which are so necessary in many Circumstances to us.

The Grass good and wholsom for Sheep, is that among which grows a good quantity of Melilot, Cla­ver, Selfheal, Cinquefoil, Broom, Pimpernel, and white Henbane; also Sparrow-wort, Knott-grass, Pen­nywort, and Middleweed-grass: For here the Soil pro­mises, not only wholsom Grass, but these are Me­dicinal, to preserve them against the Infection, that not only causes the Rot, but many other Diseases.

High Grounds, dry and fruitful, are the best Pa­sture for them, the Grass there being usually short and sweet; but if you cannot avoid putting them in low Grounds, for want of other conveniency, take care not to bring them from the Fold, till the Sun [Page 51] be risen, and then with your Dog, or otherways chase them about, till they are well heated, and then let them feed or rest.

This Chasing is many ways advantageous; first it beats the Mildews from the Grass, and other Dews very hurtful to them in their feeding; likewise ket­tles, webs, and flasks, which the Sheep licking up in feeding, Contribute to the Rot; it also stirs the Humours in them that wasts the Moisture, and pre­vents the Effects of Rottenness: They Feed also more deliberately, and not so greedily as otherways they would do, chusing their Food, which is most Healthful and Propper.

Once a Month, and oftner in the Raw wet season, Rub their Mouths with Bay-salt and Vinegar, which in a great Measure is a preservative against sickness; and thus much to the Ordering them in general; for now I come nearer to particulars.

Rot in Sheep, how to provent it and other Diseases, and Cure it when taken.

AS to the Rots particular to sheep that are for Grazing, the Hunger Rot that Putrefies the flesh and skin, and the Pelt Rot that cometh after great store of Rain to sheep new shorne, Mildewing the skin, and Corrupting the blood, are the most sweep­ing and Mortal.

To prevent these then, and all others, the Dan­ger sore-seen, take the salt called Adracei, and once a Week Rub their Mouths with it, and it is a great Prevention, and Preserver of them against Rots; but if the Rot is got amongst them, seperate the Infected, immediately Bleed the rest in their Ears, under the Tongue, and in the Vain between the Laws; give [Page 52] them Bay Salt, Fennel, and Ash Keys Boiled in their Water, and every one of them a Brandy Cup full of Aqua Vitae, sweetened with Honey.

As for the Infected, Bleed them in the Temple Veins, then take Fulsilago, Colts Foot, and Lungwort, each an equal quantity, stamp them, and strain the Juice into Water pretty well sweetened with Honey, and early in the Morning give it them warm to Drink, to each a quarter of a Pint, and they will soon Recover, unless their Lungs be utterly Perished; Feed them with short dry Hay, and Tares; the latter a little sodden in fair Water, in which Fennel has been Infu­sed; let their Housings be free from any Moisture, or Ill scents, and let them Lye Warm on clean dry Straw or Fernn, for a Sheep is a Nice Creature, much affecting Cleanliness and Wholsome Airs: Take Care likewise to drive away all Venomous Creatures from them; and this may be done by Burning Galbanium, Harts-horn Shaveings, or Womans Hair; you may also give them (in their Troughs) Barly and Beans Ground together, or dryed Pease & Acorns Ground, mixed with Bran, and if the Elme continues Leafy, give them the tender Boughs to Brouze on, and thus you will Preserve your own, whilst others not Re­garding these Rules, will have theirs swept away by Scores, if not by whole Flocks when the Rot comes amongst them, therefore seeing you are well advi­sed, neglect it not.

How to Calculate Nativities, to know Good or Bad For­tune: Introducing to that curious Art, plainly de­scribing it by the Complexions, Humours, &c.

ALL the Sager, and Wise men of the World have held, and yet do hold, that the Influ­ence of the Planets, other Stars, and signs of the

Zodiack have a great power and force in disposing the Affairs of men and Women, in the contin­gencies of their Lives, as well as to their bolilȳ [Page 54] Health, and Sickness; this granted, I proceed to shew you how this may be fore-known, and many Incommodities prevented thereby.

Consider first then to know the Day and Hour of the Birth of the Party, whose Nativity you would Calculate; as suppose on a Monday, at half an hour past five in the Morning, then you find the Moon has Dominion of that Birth; the Person so born will be of a pale complexion, soft, flaxen, or whitish hair, subject to cold diseases, inconstant, of no great capacity or understanding, and in peril of lo­sing his or her Life by drowning: See in this Case in the Scheem, the Moon ascendant in Gemini,) II in the third Angle.

If on Tuesday, when Mars predominates the Per­son be born, it is discovered by a wide mouth, a fiery countenance, great lips, a high Nose and fore­head, threatning eyes, a swarthy complexion, black or dark hair, the disposition of that Party is furious, given to brawls, from which much Trouble arises, and in the end danger of Life, seldom attaining to extream old Age; see his Character in the second Angle, thus ♂ ♌.

If on Wednesday, at any hour under the Domini­on, is under Mercury, and then the Party has a lit­tle Nose, a bright brownish, or red Hair, a little Mouth, quick sparkling Eyes, a flat Forehead, and little Head, subject to much talking, a lover of com­pany, subtil, deceitful, and by ill practices frequent­ly threatned with an untimely Death, by entring on Plots and Stratagems, obnoxious to Great Ones, his Character is thus to be known. ☿

If born of a Thursday, Jupiter predominates, and you find his Character in the second Angle, thus ♃ ascendant in Leo, ♌ the Party born under this con­stellation, [Page 55] if of a ruddy, fair, and sanguine Com­plexion, a high-forehead, but of a round plump Vi­sage, a little enclining to an oval, the Nose indiffe­rently standing forth, the Hair a lovely brown, or enclining to lightish, the Eyes hazle, but of a cheer­ful Aspect, his or her behaviour is cheerful, full of obligement, true to trust, and a good Friend, his or her Fortune will rise by the help of Great Ones, and his Sicknesses, which will not be many, proceed from over abundance of Blood, causing Fevours, and the Like; a long Life, and much Riches is pro­mised to those under this Influence.

Those born on a Fryday, under the Dominion of Venus, whose Character stands thus ♀ in the de­pressed, or undermost Angle of the body, or point of the Scheme; in Taurus ♉ the person born un­der her Influence, is of a fair complexion, flaxen hairs and many times bright, enclining to red, af­fable of temper, black sparkling Eyes, dimpled a little in cheek or chin, fortunate by Marriages, and greatly beloved, many Children in wedlock; and others without it, yet often afflicted with hot diseases, and very old Age is not promised, but Dan­ger threatned of Mortal Wounds, in lustful conten­tions.

If born under Saturn's dominion, that is on Satur­day, whose Character is thus, ♄ in the fourth Angle, opposite to Taurus ♉ and Leo ♌ deprest, the Party will in this case have red or dusky Hair, a sallow or melancholly Complexion, slow to speech, blue Eyes, a long Visage, and straight Mouth, sub­ject to Melancholly, secret Revenge, studious and thoughtful, no Riches is promised; but Afflictions and Trouble; wife and prudent, but unfortunate in undertakings, wear out a long and troublesom Life.

[Page 56] If born under the Sun, Charactered thus, ☉ in the sixth Angle, in the sign Aries, ♈ the Party will be of a cheerful countenance, a ruddy Complexion, enclining a little to dusky, of a humour affable, and very fortunate by favour.

How to tell any Number one shall Think, be it never so great.

THIS is a pretty Device, and some have been thought to Conjure, or Divine, when they did so exactly know the Thoughts of others, &c. and it is no more than this; When the Party has Thought of any Number, bid him or her Multiply the Number thought, by Five, and give you the product, by which means the Number Thought, will be so far above that thought on, that he will never scruple it, concluding it is impossible to Re­duce it; and this product being infallibly a five, or a cypher, that taken away, the number Thought on will remain:

As suppose the Thought-Number were 53. which doubled, produces 106. and this Multipli­ed by 5. is 530. The Cypher then taken away, it is 53. the Number Thought on: And thus you may do (observing this Rule) by what Number soever any One shall cast in their Mind.

To know the Planet that hath Dominion in the Nati­vity of any Person.

THis is a very nice Point, yet conducing to a­bundance of Advantage, in knowing what shall befal one in the course of Life; for as the Pla­net is Good or Bad, so our Fortune will be; but be­fore [Page 57] I give further Directions, Observe the follow­ing Alphabetical Table, with their agreeing Figures.

In this Case take the Number of every Letter of the Christian Name of the party enquiring, and the like of their parents Names, apply them to the Letters of the Table, and their Figures; then bring the several Numbers into one Sum total, then di­vide by 9. and then 1. or 4. remains, it Denotes the Sun to have domination in the Nativity, promi­sing long Life, Riches, and Honour: If 7. or 2. then its the Moon, and your Life will be incon­stant and changeable: If 9. Mars, promising a troublesom Life, by reason of Jarrs, Strifes, and a restless Spirit: If 5. Mercury, Denoting the get­ting of Wealth, but not the Art of keeping it, un­stable, deceitful, &c. If 3. Jupiter, promising Riches, and Favour of Great Ones: If 6. Venus, promising in Love successful: If 8. Saturn, bring­ing a sullen bad Fortune.

The Art of Discovering Truth from Falsehood.

IF you suspect you take a Servant, or any other in a Lye, or False Story, that may be to your pre­judice, [Page 58] or otherways, be not presently so Rash as to Charge them with it, but try the following Rule of Art, to inform you in a certainty, of what you can but at present surmize or suspect, without any real Ground. Write the parties Name, and the name of the day the Discourse was, or is made on, that you cannot believe, and then mind the follow­ing Alphabet and Figures.

Take the Letters and Figures properly belong­ing to them, as the Letters make the Name of the Party suspected, also add those of the name of the day, and when you have put them into a Sum Total, add 26. then by 7 devide the Sum Total, and then take the Remainder, and if it proves odd, you may be confident the Party has told you an Untruth or Aesop's Fable, instead of a Veracity: But if ever you may Relye upon what he or she has said, and in case of an Untruth, you may positively Charge the Party with it, and either by an open Confession, Blushes, or some evident Signs, you may easily come to the knowledge how you had like to have been deceived.

How to know whether you shall be Successful in any Matters you Engage in against another.

IF you would know whether you shall have the Advantage against your Adversary, in any Matter of Controversy, as a Suit of Law, Love, Race­ing, Gameing, Bargaining, or the like; to do this, consider the Names of each Party, and rarely they happen alike; having well considered them, set down the following Alphabet (with Figures) under the Letters, viz.

And now to Amaze the Party more that comes to be Resolved, put the Christian Names into Latin, in the Nominative Case Singular; as suppose Peter is Contending, or to Contend in any of these Matters with Paul, set down Petrus & Paulus; and so of any other Name, then according as the Alphabet di­rects, joyn unto every Letter of the Names propo­sed, the Figure, or Figures under the Letter, as they stand in Order; then Cast up the Numbers to each Party by it self, and being put together, proceed to [Page 60] Divide by 9. and so doubt not to find (the Division being made) what Remains to the one Party, and to the other; and this gives a sight of the Victor, and the Vanquished; and if it so happen, that in the Division of the whole 9. nothing Remains, then take the last Number of 9. to serve for your purpose; as I shall more fully Explain in the Close: And thus I begin with the Names Mentioned, as by the same Rule you may do with any other.

And by this Rule, the Planets give their Favour­able Influence to Peter; and promise him the Advan­tage over the other, as having 4. to 1. against him in the Remainder; that is, three odds to give him a good Lott: But yet to make this more Manifest, take the following Table according to the fore-going Rule.

[Page 61] And thus may you know what is proper with­out any Frivolous Conceits of Conjuration, or Deal­ing with the Black Art, to Injure or Hurt your self by Diabolical Charms or Enchantations.

To know whether the Party you Love be Virtuous and Chaste.

THIS is a Nice Secret, and may do much Good in preventing much Evil and Strife after Mar­riage; Write down the Proper Name of the Party, either Man or VVoman, with his or her Mothers Name, and put the Number to each Letter, as the fore-going Experiment, add 15 to the Sum Total, di­vide it then by 9. and so the Sum Remaining, or the Remainder of that Sum being even, then Conclude the Person Chaste, Honest, and Virtuous; but if it appear odd, then you may, with all Imaginable rea­son Conclude the Contrary.

The Mosaick Wand to find out Hidden Treasure:

THIS has been a secret put in Practice to great Advantage, in this Order; Cut a Hazle wand Forked, at the upper end like a Y, Peel off the Rhine, and dry it in a moderate Heat, then steep it in the Juice of Wake Robin, or Night Shade, and Cut the single lower End sharp, and where you suppose any Rich Mine, or Hidden Treasure is near, place a piece of the same Mettal you conceive is Hid, or in the Earth, to the top of one of the Forks by a Hair or very fine Silk or Thread, and do the like at the other end, pitch the sharp single end lightly in the Ground, at the going down of the Sun, the Moon be­ing in the Encrease, and in the Morning at Sun-rise [Page 62] (by a Natural Sympathy) you will find the Mettal enclyning, and as it were pointing to the Place where the other is Hid.

Choice Secrets in Astrology on several Useful Occasions.

MANY have been desirous to know (as a great Secret) the Power that is given to the Planets, and other Stars, to prevent Thefts and Depredations

on Houses, Out Houses, Orchards, Parks, Warrens, Fields of Corn, Cattle, Timber, and the like: How either to stop and take the Thief, or scare him from coming thither, and since Wonders have been wrought in this, to Secure Honest People in their Just [Page 63] Rights, and it being hitherto an Occult Faculty, or Rare Secret, I shall give the Reader such an Insight into the Matter, as few have hitherto done.

A safe way to secure a House.

IF you suspect your House will be Robbed, and would secure it from Thieves, as no doubt but you are [Page 64] desirous, consider the Night what Planet Reigns, and is Lord of the Ascendant, and these are their Characters, the Sun ☉ on Sunday, the Moon ☽ on Monday, Mars ♂ on Tuesday, Mercury ☿ on Wednes­day, Jupiter ♃ on Thursday, Venus ♀ on Friday, Saturn ♄ on Saturday: Now consider on what Night you do this, as to these Planets, and Write on fair Parchment these Characters, ♌ ♈ ♒ and suppose it be on a Sunday, add the Planetary Character ☉ with this Number. 1. 3. 5. ¼ 1/7. and that Night, lay this under the Earth, or covered with a Tile in the middle of the House, as near as may be, sprinkle it over with the Juice of Night shade, and so go to Sleep as soon as you have thrice Repeated them over, and if the Thieves have power to Enter the House, they shall have no power to get out again, or to carry any thing away till the Sun Rises, and if you be Watchful, then you may easily Apprehend them before they are able to depart.

And this you may do any Day of the Week, ad­ding the Character of the Planet that Rules that day, as I have set it down, to what is beside set down in Order.

A Safegaurd for all Out-houses, to secure Poultry, Cattle, Corn, or what else is shut up therein.

COnsider the Day, as in the former, and set down in a piece of Clean Parchment these Cha­racters, ♉ ♋ ♍ add the Character of the Planet, as for Monday ☽ and these Figures, 9. 8. 5. 3. ⅕ ¼, lay this sprinkl'd with the Juice of Hemlock under the [Page 65] Threshold of the Out-house, or if there be none, in some secret Corner, and if any Thieves Enter, they will be so Blinded and Amazed, that they will not find their way out again, but groap in vain till the Sun Rise, before which time you must be Watchful to come thither; for the Sun shooting its Beams through the Air, the Guardian Virtues Retire, and the Force is dissolved for that time; but with Changing the Planet will serve for the next Night, and so on.

A Safegaurd for an Orchard, Park, Warrin, or Field, to take a Thief, &c.

THE several Places being Guarded by one and the same Planet, not to be too tedious to you, one and the same thing will indifferently serve to secure any of them from Thieves that come to make Robbery or Depredations, whether it be of Fruits of the Earth, or any kind of Cattle, or to steal away Timber in Fields or Woods; to make which, take the following Direction, have a piece of curi­ous clean Parchment, made of a sleek Skin, Cut it with five Points or Corners, in the Form of a Star, but so large, that you may well Write in the Center of it, what is to be Written, viz. II ♐ ♓ the Cha­racters of the Celestial Signs Governing these Affairs, add the Character of the Planet for the Day, as be­fore Directed, and suppose it be Tuesday, Mars that Governs that Day has this Character, which set down thus, ♂ and this Number 1. 7. 11. 12. 1/7 ⅛ ⅙, close it up with Virgins Wax, as I should have told you, you ought to have done the former, and [Page 66] sprinkle it with the Juice of Fumitory, & place the same (if in a Garden) in the hole of a Wall, if in a Field, Forrest, Park, or Wood, in the hole of a Tree, hav­ing lay'd it before in Goose Tausey; and so whatever any Thief takes in these several Grounds, he shall not be able to carry off till the Sun Rising; but then if not Watched he may do it.

To drive away Ghosts or Spirits that haunt a House, and prevent the night Mare.

THis is a curious Secret, and I think never be­fore made publick, or privately practised, but by a few: To do this, take the wool that grows between the two Eyes of a black Sheep, burn it to powder, after it has been steeped a night and a day in Man's Urine, mix this with the Powder of Night­shade, or Wake Robin, an Herb so called, boil them in a quarter of a Pint of Aqua Vitae, sprinkle the Walls of the Chamber you fancy is Haunted with it, and no disturbance will happen if you turn your Face when you go to repose, to the Eastward, when in Bed, and say your Prayers.

This to be carryed about One, for the prevention of Witchcraft, being under an Ill Tongue, or Planet struck.

THese Misfortunes generally happen under the power of the Moon, who (as Ancients hold) is the Favourour of Majeck, or Enchantment, then take the most Opposite Planet to her, in Allaying her Force [Page 67] this way, which is Jupiter, Write his Character thus ♃ on a piece of Parchment, and add to it the following Characters, that are signs of the Zodiack, viz. ♍ ♎ ♏ and this Number, 1. 3. 7. 5. 7. ½ 1/7 ¼. after this, set down the Number the Figurative Letters in your Name make, wrap it up in as small a compass as you can, and sewing it up in a piece of black silk, that has been steeped in the Juice of Veruine, hang it about your Neck, when the Moon changes, and you will be Secure from any Danger of this nature, if you lead a Good Life.

To prevent affrighting Dreams, and take away fear in the Night.

YOU must take Laudanum a drahm, Frankincence the like quantity, of Bezora stone as much; beat these into powder, and write upon a piece of parchment these Characters, ♄ ♃ ☿ ♀ and un­der them your Name; put the Powder in the pa­per you write on, and when you Repose, bind them to your Forehead and stomach; for you must have two papers, ordered one and the same way, as direc­ted, putting half the powder in the one, and the o­ther half in the other.

To help a Person under an Ill Tongue, and make the Witch appear, or the Effects cease.

CUT off some of the Parties hair, just at the Nape of the Neck, clip it small, and burn it to powder, put the powder in salt-Armoniack, write the Parties Name you suspect backwards, and put the paper dipt in Aqua-Vitoe into the o­ther [Page 68] two, then set it over a gentle Fire; let the Party afflicted sit by it, and diligently watch it, that it run not over to catch flame, speaking no word, what Noise soever is heard, but take No­tice of what Voice or Roaring is heard in the Chimney, or any part of the Room, and then write how often you hear it, and fix before each writing, this Character, ☽ and if the Party who Afflicts you, appears not visible, though you may know the Voice, repeat it again, and if she appear in no visi­ble shape, it may make her Charm impotent, and give Relief to the afflicted Party.

To prevent or take Vermin, that come to destroy Poultry, or Coney warrens.

YOU must take a piece of a Woolfs skin, the Hair on, the breadth of the palm of your hand, or somewhat more, prick a great many holes in it with a bodkin, in the three corners, but leave the middle intire, scrape the middle part on the fleshey side, so that it may be smooth enough to write on; then write these Characters

this done, write the Guardian Name underneath them, viz. Azmeros, then burn the Wool of a Foxes tail, with some Feather­few, and the Seeds of Henbane, lay the Powder on the Characters, that it may cover them pretty well, then sold the corners, and stitch them up close with the Powder in it; and this done, sprinkle it with the juice of Hysop, and hang it up with a couple of Horse hairs drawn out of the middle of the Tail of a live Stone Horse, and hang it up in your Hen­house, Dove-cot; or for a Warren, on a Pole, or a Tree, as near as you can in the middle of the Coney [Page 69] Burrows, & the Vermin will either fear to approach, scenting it at a distance, or being come near it, will continue snuffing, and endeavouring to get at it, then you may come and destroy them with a Gun, Dogs, Crossbow, or otherways, as you find most practicable; instead of a Woolfs skin, you may use a Badgers, if the other cannot be had.

To prevent a Dogs barking at you in the Night time.

YOU must take the skin off the Forehead of an Hyena, a Beast so called, which may be had at the Furriers Shop, boyl it in the Urine of a young stone Colt, and smoak it over the burnt Hoof of a Cow, twice or thrice, till it is dry, and so carry it about you, and so long as you do this, where-ever you come in the Night, the Dogs will not only be silent, but run away from you as fast as they can, when you approach any thing near them: For if they once Scent it (as certainly they will) the great aversion they have to it, will make them tremble, and avoid you, without being able to open at you.

To draw Cats together, so that they shall not escape your Hands.

SO soon as ever the New Moon appears, gather the herb Nepe, and dry it a little in the heat of the Sun: when it is temperately hot, then take a fair piece of Parchment, and cut it in the shape of a half Moon, write on it these Characters ☽ ☿ ♄ * wrap the parchment up close, and put it amongst the Herb, which hang up in a Net, in a convenient [Page 70] place, and when one of them has scented it, her Cry will soon call all those about her, that are within hearing, and there they will rage and run about, leaping and capering, to get at the Net, which must be so hung, or placed, that they can­not easily do: for they will certainly tear it to pieces, and in this you will have pleasant pastime, as well as to take and destroy them, if they are of­fensive to your Gardens, Houses, Dove-Cots, &c.

A Pleaget to wear about ones Neck, to prevent Bugs, Flens, or Gnats biting in the night time.

THis to many people may prove no less advanta­geous than any, especially where these Insects are a second plague of Aegypt to people: To do this, Gather Asmart, or Hounds Tongue, an Herb with a long, sharp pointed, little Leaf that grows in Ditch­es, in moist places in Summer, dry it to a powder, add to it as much of the powder of Sarsafrax Wood, as will lye upon a Shilling, sprinkle them a little with Juniper Water, mix it with the Wooll of a black Sheep, cut off betwixt the Horns, in the wain of the Moon, write on a piece of paper these Cha­racters ♒ ♂ ♏ * ♄ ½ ⅕ Sprinkle the paper when you have foulded it up, with the Juice of Rue, and sew it up in a thin silk Bag, and with a little small Cats Guts hang it about your Neck, when you go to sleep; and if you are awake the power is the same: you will Rest without being disturbed with these, or other Insects.

To drive away Mice or Rats; in a House or Graine­ry.

IF you can get a He Weasel about the increase of the Moon, kill him, and take out his Fat, then dry his Skin, that you may write on the fleshey side of it, these Characters, ♉ ♈ ♊ ♋ ☽ * do it over with the Weasels Fat, and stuff up the Skin with Moss, taken from the Root, or lower part of an Oak-Tree, and place it on a sharp Haw-thorn­stick, put the sharp end into it Belly wards, and stick the other end into the Floar, in a little hole made with a Gimblet, in the place of their resort; let it not be placed more than six Inches above the Floar, and as many as come there, will immedi­ately avoid the House, or out-house; and if you would kill them there, it is but strewing pot-ashes on the Floar, and it will work so powerful, that they cannot get away; but there you may kill them at pleasure.

To prevent being Robbed on the Road, or meeting with any bad Accident.

COnisider (in this Case) what Planet you set out under, Ruling as to the days, and its in­fluence: The Moon ruling Monday, denotes incon­stancy in Success: Mars Tuesday, violence: Mercury on Wednesday, deceit and fraud: Saturn on Saturday, envy, and malignaminity: But the Sun, Jupiter, and Venus, Governing Sunday, Thursday, and Fri­day, are very Friendly Planets, promising Success: However, other Days are proper enough, with the Cautions I shall give you hereafter; and that is as [Page 72] followeth, to prosper, and prevent Ill Fortune, it being Robbed, Falling from your Horse, or Sick falling into any Pit, Water, or the like.

Now Note, That the Malignant Planets are friendly to others, and befriended of them again; Sol is friendly to Jupiter, and Venus; Luna to Jupi­ter, Venus, and Saturn; Mars is friendly to Venus; Mercury is friendly to Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn; Jupiter is friendly to Sol, Luna, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn; Venus is friendly to Sol, Luna, Mars, Mer­cury, and Jupiter; Saturn is friendly to Jupiter, Sol, and Luna: And these are temporizing to hinder the Malignancy of each other; therefore the premises considered, now as to what you are to put in prac­tice for your security.

Gather Veruine, an Herb so called, in the New of the Moon, hang it up in the Chimney to dry, then powder it, and steep it in the water of Agnus Castus, then dry it again, and reduce it to fine powder; these temporize with the Planets Venus and Mercury, which are so powerful in their influence for the pro­tection of Travellers; put this Powder into a Hol­low Ring, of any kind of Mettal, and have these Characters engraved on the inside of it ♀ ☿ ♄ then you may go or ride safe, without danger of any violence, keeping your Mind on good things.

To find out a Thief, or make him or her bring back the Goods stolen.

YOU must set down the day, hour, and minute, if you can, when the Goods were stolen, and the name of the Planet ruling the day, as I have be­fore set down, to direct you: This being done, set down these following Characters, in a fair piece [Page 73] of Parchment ☽ ☉ ♄ * Δ Σ this done, Turn Round thrice, and if you hear no News in 44 Hours of the Thief, as ten to one you will, then Prick the Parchment full of Holes, and hang it up in the Chimney, where the Heat of the Fire may a little Scorch it, and the Thief is held to be so restless in his mind, and tormented, that he or she will dis­cover the Theft to be at Ease, or bringing Home the Goods, throw them privately into your House, or some place appertaining to you.

A Pleasant Device or Stratagem to find out any Person Suspected to have Robbed you.

IF you Suspect a Servant, or any other, not being Positive, you may first (to Amuse them) threa­ten to send for the Cunning Man, to know by his Art what is become of the Things Lost, and soon af­ter have a Stranger come unknown to them, and or­der the Pary you Suspect, with some others for Com­pany, to come into a Room, being Ignorant of what is Intended, then the Stranger Whelming a Kettle very Sooty, or Black at Bottom, muttering hard Words, the Room must be made quite Dark, then he must bid them Walk three times Round the Kettle, Hand in Hand; then suddenly say, Lay each of you your Hand upon the Kettle, as hard as you can, and when he that has Stole the Goods, comes to do it; for it must be done in Turns, one after another, the Cock will Crow, and Discover him or her; those that are Innocent will do it without Scruple, but the Guilty Person, if he be Ignorant of the Trick, being in the Dark, will Refuse it, because it cannot be seen whe­ther he does it or not; and when they all say they [Page 74] have done it, asking them severally over, the Party must begin to admire the Cock Crows not, for you must not expect he will do it upon this Account un­less by chance, and say He believes the Party is not here that has Stolen the Goods, when making all Light again, he must require to see their Hands, to be more perfectly Instructed in the Matter, and then, by then if any of their Hands are not Smutted, or have no Mark of Blackness, it is plain that Party has not Touched the Kettle, and then being home Char­ged with the Matter, he will doubtless Confess it, and the Reason he Declined it; by which Means you may come by your Goods again, if they have not been so long Lost, that they are altogether Wasted or Em­bezelled.

To know what Place is best to Live and Thrive in, whether one shall be Rich or Poor, Long Life or Short, what Sickness, or Crosses shall befall one.

ONE Considerable thing has been desired by many, and that is to know the Places where they may Thrive best, or the Employments Destined by the Heavenly Constellations, whereby they may best Thrive in the World: This is to be considered by the Constellation, or Planet the Party is Born un­der, and the Sign in which at that time it is, which gives the Influence in Affairs of Life; and Note that the Moon passes through the Twelve Signs of the Zo­diack in 28 Days, some odd Hours, and Minutes; & by Observing the Birth whilst she is in these several Signs, the following Conjactures are to be made.

If in Aries, or Taurus, thus Charactered, ♈ ♉ the Party shall Thrive best in Inland Countrys, Man­ageing Rural Affairs, as Breeding Cattle, Tilling [Page 75] Ground, Planting Fruit Trees, leading a happy con­tented Life, amidst great Plenty and Encrease, and Live to a good Old Age, have many Children.

If the Moon be in Gemini at the Nativity, thus Charactered ♊ then shall there be great Advantages by Marriages, and in populous Towns or Citys is the best place of Living, Dealing in Crafts, or Working in Manufactures; but Sickness will happen, and a Vigorous Old Age hardly be Obtained.

If the Moon be in Cancer, thus Charactered ♋ the Party shall deal in Minerals to Thrive best, or Silver, Brass, Copper, Tin, Lead, or Iron, and Gain much by the Crafts and Trades they are properly used in, Working in Fire, or else Profess Chymistry, or Al­chymy, and Citys or other Great Places of Trafick, are the best to Settle in for Thriveing, and growing Rich, though at first the Party will not fail to meet with some Misfortunes, and Disencouragements; how­ever be not Disheartened, they will Blow over, and a more Prosperous Sceen appear; yet will the Party Born so be troubled with Hot Diseases, as Feavours, continual Intermiting Feavours, Epylepsies, Fluxes, &c.

If the Moon be in Leo, when the Nativity happens, it is thus Charactered ♌ it betokens the Party Stout, Generous, and Born to great Fortune, Rising by the Favour of Princes, and Great Men. If a Male, He­roick and Valiant Actions shall get him Fame and Renown; if a Female, she shall have Honourable Marriages; but neither of their Lives are promised to continue to Old Age, by reason they will be of a dry fiery Constitution; the most Thriveing Place to Live in, will be near Princes Courts, the Houses of Great Men in populous Towns or Citys, or Travelling in Forreign Countrys to get Fame and Riches.

[Page 76] If the Moon be in Virgo, at the time of the Nati­vity, it denotes the Man or Woman shall be loving, affable, and of a winning Behaviour, gaining the Love of all, have Encrease of beautiful Children, though to Women, it denotes Pains and Perril in Child-birth: The best way to Thrive is by Manual Occupation, Manufactures in Linnen, Woollen, and the like; but they will be troubled with Phlegmatick Diseases, as Colds, Coughs, Consumption, Dropseys, Rheumatisms, and the like; coveting a Country Life, where it is Alotted for Persons Born under this Caelestial Sign, and Dominion of the Moon, best to Thrive; however they shall Live long, but get no great store of Wealth: This Sign is thus Cha­ractered, ♍

If the Nativity fall in the Moons Ingress to Libra, thus Charactered ♎ the Party shall best Thrive in Citys, or Towns, by Selling Trades, or Merchantdize, deal­ing much in Wares, and growing Rich thereby, of a temporate moderate Constitution, not over scrap­ing, or Covetuous of Riches, though much Plenty shall be gotten by Industry; the Diseases that attend such Persons, shall be indifferently mixed, some times Hot, at other times Cold; and they are promised mostly to see a middle Age, with Comfort of many Children.

If the Nativity falls out when the Moon is in the Sign Scorpio, thus Charactered ♏ the Party shall have but an indifferent Being, forced to move from Place to Place, by reason of Malicious Enemys, and be in Danger to Dye at last by Poyson, or some Ma­lignant Infection.

If the Moon be in Sagittarius, thus Charactered ♐ near Woods and Forrests is the properest Place to Live in, the Party shall be much delighted in Hunting, [Page 77] Shooting, be very Hardy, Dexterous, and Ingenious in Understanding, and the Trust Reposed, whereby the Party shall gain Favour, and be Advanced, ei­ther in Service or Marriage; but in the end shall be in danger of Life, if not Dye of some Wound got­ten in a Quarrel, or Privately given by a Treacher­ous Enemy, or Furious Beast.

If the Moon Cast the Nativity of a Person in Capri­corne, the Person shall be given much to Lustful De­sires; it is thus Charactered ♑ delighting in Rural Affairs, yet subject to Remove often from Place to Place, and not long Contented with any fixed A­bode, however disappointments happening at the first, the End shall be more Favourable, and Fortu­tunate by Marriage, though no great store of Chil­dren; yet Hot and Dry Diseases will much Afflict the Party, and extream Old Age is not promised him or her Born under this Influence.

If the Moon be in the Signs Aquarius, or Pisces, thus Charactered ♒ ♓ it denotes the Party to be of an Unstable, Roving Mind, yet very Industrious, given to the desire of Travel, and to Marine Affairs, Thriveing best by Merchantdize, and delighting in Sea-port Towns, and Places near Great Waters, most commonly Successful, gaining great Riches; but of a phlegmatick Constitution, subject to Agnes, Dropseys, and other Distempers, occasioned by Cold and Moi­sture, but has a promise of long Life, though not over Fruitful in Children.

And thus may many other things be Conjectured, or Gathered from this, that I have not set down: And to be Informed when the Moon is in any of these Signs, and Predominant to compare it with the time of Birth, for the more assurance of its Influence, it may (upon first view) be found in many Common [Page 78] Almanacks, each Sign Governing a Solar Month, of which there are but Twelve to the Year, though of Lunar Months Thirteen.

How to Resolve all Lawful Questions, Relating to Mar­riage, Friendship, Journying, Life Long, or Short, Business, Success, or any others truly stated.

TO be informed in curious Questions, better than if you go to those that Imprudently are called by the Vulgar, Cunning-men, I shall put you into such a Method, as you will be Enabled to do it your self, without Trouble or Expence of money, or being Scared or Affrighted with their pretended Conjurati­on, being the same Rule they take, to make their Guesses, and Conjectures, which often hit Right: The Planets and other Stars Considered in their Proper Motion, Positions, Oppositions, and Conjunctions; for so they have a great Influence on Earthly Things, and over the Action of Men, to Dispose and Order them in their Affairs, and Moderate many Matters that would other ways be Violent and Destructive.

[Page 79] In Order to this I have Erected a Scheme, and when you would consider any Question, to know it, first view well this Scheme Erected, and Calculated for the Resolving all Lawful Questions, Mark how the Signs and Planets are Posited in their Govern­ment of the Coelestial Houses, and then the Figures in the Square.

To understand this the better, take in the Number of the Day of the month, and Mark what Planet Rules that Day you state your Question to be Resolved, and [Page 80] these are their Characters, as to the Governing the Days of the Week, as you find in the Angles or Houses of the Scheme Erected, on Sunday ☉ Governs, on monday ☽, on Tuesday ♂, on Wednesday ☿, on Thurs­day ♃, on Friday ♀, on Saturday ♄, this being Noted, pitch upon any Number that exceeds not 30, add to it the Number of the Day of the month, and the Letter that begins your Name, if it be a Figure, if it be not, it stands but for 1. then gather the Number thought on, and the Number of the Day of the month, with that of your Name Letter, into one Sum, and divide it by 30, and then if you find what Remains in the upper part of the Square, in the Fi­gures placed, there assure your self of Good Luck, but if it fall out in the under part, it promises but an Indifferency of Fortune.

As for Example, you would be certified whether you shall have the Party you are in Love withal, and desire to marry, take the Number of the first Let­ter of your Name, and the Number of the Planet that Governs the Day you enquire, reckoning from Sun­day, as to the Days of the Week, till Saturday, in or­der, and then divide them by 30, and if it appears in the upper part, it promises you Success in what you desire to know; but if in the under part of the Table, you will be Crossed in your Expectation: If there Remains neither under nor over, it Remains in the Blank Houses of the Scheme, where neither Good nor Bad Fortune is signifyed; then being put off with a Blank, you must think again, and pro­ceed in the same order, till it comes up to a Figure or Sum, over or under; that is, as you find it above or below in the Table; and upon this Rule depend all Questions that can reasonably be thought on to be Demanded.

[Page 81] As Success in Love Affairs, Portions, great or small, Law suits, Absence of Friends, whether Dead or Alive, or when Return, if ever, whether you shall gain the Preferment you desire, whether you shall escape Sickness or not, also in Wagers, Combates, Children, Child-birth, overcoming Troubles, good or bad Debts, true Friendship, News, or storys, true or false; if a thing stolen be Recoverable or not; and indeed what ever your Occasion requires, as to World­ly Matters; which for Brevitys sake, I here for­bear to Innumerate, as being too many, and too te­dious to set down in all their particulars.

What Diseases in the Bodys of Men, Women, and Children, are more Immediately caused by the In­fluence of the seven Planets, with Astrological Re­marks as to their Cure.

SAturn ♄ Reigning, causes Cold Diseases, as the Gout, Leprofy, Palsey Quartan Agues, Dropsys, Catarrhs, Coughs, Rheumatisms, &c.

Jupiter ♃ causes Cramps, Numbness, Inflamations of the Liver, Head Aches, Pains in the shoulders, Windyness in the Body, Sanguin Feavours; and all Diseases caused of Putrefaction, the Appoplexy, Caxi­diac Passions, Squincyes, &c.

Mars ♂ causes Acute Feavours, and Tertian Agues, continual Intermiting Feavours, Impostumes, Erisi­pelas, Carbuncles, Fistulas, Bloody Flux, and such like hot and dry Diseases.

Sol ☉ causes Rheums in the Eyes, Coldness in the stomach and Liver, swooning, Chollar, Catarrhs, Pustles in the matrix, and the like in the Lower Parts.

[Page 82] Venus ♀ causes scabs, and Venerial Diseases, Lientery suffocations in the Womb, sickness in the stomach, from Cold and Moist Causes, Infirmitys of the Liver and Lungs, &c.

Mercury ☿ causes Hoarsness, and Distempers in the Senses, Impediments in speech, and its passions, Fall­ing sickness, Goughs, Jaundice, Vomiting, Catarrhs, &c.

The moon ☽ causes Palsey, Chollick, the Whites, Dropsey, phlegmatick, Impostumes, Dissenteries, and all Diseases coming from Obstructions in the Veins.

Now having given you a sight of what Diseases the Influence bring upon the Bodys of Men and Wo­men, it is their Business to consider under what par­ticular Planet each Individual was Born, which may be known several ways, treated on in this Book; and therefore I need not here give further Instructi­ons as to that particular, but come to more general Terms, to know how the Bodys ought to be ordered, to prevent these Diseases, and herein (as one main Expedient) I recommend Temperance, moderate Bleeding, and purging in seasonable times, when a Friendly Planet, Opposit to the Malignancy of the planet you was Born under, has Dominion, which will much abate the Effect of their Influence, and give Nature a Power to Oppose the Malevolency, which (if well heeded) may be a main prevention of Dangerous sickness.

Observe also to gather all your Physical Herbs in the Hour of the Friendly planet, that temperizes with that you are Born under, and in so doing they will have more Strength, Power, and Virtue to Oppo­rate in the Medicines; but neither physick nor Bleed on the 3d. of January, the 1st. of July, the 2d of October, the last day of April, the first of August, and the last; for Astrologers (with whom Physitians joyn) [Page 83] conclude Perillous, by reason of the bad Influence then Reigning; and if it change not the Distemper into another Worse, it will Augment it, and put the Party in great Danger of Death; if he or she in this Case be not so Luckey to escape it.

The Urinall Doctor, or Astrological and physical Ob­servations, on Casting Urine, Relating to Health or sickness, with Cautions to prevent threatened Evils.

CAsting of Urine is now become a great Trade, and many People much Rely upon it, to know the Constitution of their Bodys, as to sickness or health, and though there is something in it, yet they many times go to Ignorant Pretenders, who will take their Money, and tell them a plausible story, though they know nothing of the Matter; therefore among these many useful things, I shall give the Reader an Insight to know it himself,, and in this very one thing, save him or her the mony, this whole Book fraught with so many Rarities will Cost them.

First, Then if the Urine be Red, it signifies the Blood is Heated, and you must either Bleed, or Allay that Heat with Cooling things, to prevent sickness.

2d. The Urine White, shows Rawness, and phleg­matick Indigestions in the stomach, which must be Remedyed by Gentle purges, to Cleanse it, and Re­store lost Appetite.

3d. Thick and Muddy Urine betokens the Body surfeited, by over Heating in Labour, Walking, or other Exercise, or by excessive Drinking; and then to prevent a Fevour, take Cooling Cordials.

4th. A White and Red Setling, Gravelly, or san­dy in the Urine, betokens the stone, beginning to pu­trify [Page 84] in the Reins or Bladder; Drink to prevent it the Juice of parsley in Rhenish or White Wine.

5th. A clear Perspicuous or Transparent Urine, shows a good Concoction, and perfect Digestion, and withal a Healthful Constitution.

6th. Bloody spots in Urine, denotes an Ulceration in the Reins, or Neck of the Bladder.

7th. The Urine Blackish, shows much a Dust, melancholly, and fore-runs some Violent Disease, that often brings Death, or a Long Tedious Sick­ness.

8th. The Urine Clammy-and Sweet, denotes a Consumption of the Internal parts, by bad Digestion.

9th. Urine of a Lead Colour, signifies the Body to be in an Ill Habit (and threatens Death) without speedy Remedys Applyed.

10th. Urine that has Yellow sparkles, or sediment in it shows Choler has the Predominancy, and much Afflicts the Body, threatens Feavours, and other hot Diseases; and by these kinds you may perfectly learn the state of the Body, as to Health or Sickness, present or approaching, for the Urine passing through those parts where the Distempers are Generating, carry a Tincture along with it of the Humours Predo­minant, that is Encreasing or Propagating the Dis­ease, or on the contrary shows a healthful Constitu­tion, though few are so Skilful to descern it, which puts me in mind of a pleasant Story, viz. A Wo ­man whose Husband had a Bruise by a fall down Stairs, carryed his Urine to a Urine Casting Doctor, who pretended likewise to be a Conjurer; he (after shaking) seeing little specks of Blood Float in it, had so much Understanding to tell her the Party had Received some Internal Hurt; the Woman agreed to this as Truth, but demanding by what means he [Page 85] came by it; upon this he erected his Scheme, and in the mean time asked her so many Questions, that by the drift of her Discourse, he gathered he had Tumbled down Stairs; the Woman not minding well what she had said (in the Consternation she was in at the hard Words he uttered) supposing he was Conjuring up the Devil to be Resolved in the Matter, told her her own Words again in a different Stile; the Woman acknowledged it True, with some Admiration, but desired to know how many Pair of Stairs he might fall down (she had told him before where she Lived) and he considering the place consisted mostly of Low Buildings, answered, Two Pair; nay now (said she) you are out in your Art, he fell Three Story I'll promise; this put our Doctor to his Trumps, when having Mused a while for an Excuse, he shook the Urinal again, and ask­ed her if there was all the Water her Husband made, No (Replyed she) I spilt a little in pouring it in: O hoe, did you so? (said he) why, that Woman is the business, that made me Mistake, for there went a­way the other Pair of Stairs in the Urine you spilt.

Cautions against much Bleeding, and Physicking, and what necessary Rules are to be taken to supply the Defect.

THough I have often in this Book set down Rules for Health, and particularly Blood Letting, with the Times and Seaesons proper (since Health is the Rarest Jewel of Life) yet for once let me give a Caution, that none by Ignorance, or too much For­wardness, instead of Preserving, Prejudice their Health.

[Page 86] Though Physical Medicines are properly Good in their Order, and helpful to Nature, whose Hand­maid they are, to help her expell any Noxious Humour that may produce a Virulent Distemper, yet over-doing may be more Injurious than under doing; therefore my Advice is, that none do Ac­custom themselves over-much to Purging Medi­cines, or Blood-letting, except without them there will be some great Prejudice, or Defect in Nature; for when once the Body is often accustomed to them, they will be worse if it be not continued, which by often Repitition, must waste the Vital Spirits, as well as they carry off the bad Humours.

Therefore chuse rather to take such apt things as are proper to keep the Body open, and a wholsom moderate Dyet.

Bread and Butter strewed with Rosemary, Sage, Rue, or Scurvygrass, is an excellent preservative of Health, and in the Spring, or at other Convenient Seasons, Pottage, with Clivers, Water-crosses, Elder­buds, Nettle-tops, Brooklime, Smallage, and such like cooling and moderate refreshing Herbs, are great Refreshers of Nature, gently Cooling and Purging the Blood, and keep off Sickness for a long Season, though the Bodys of Men and Women have before been Accustomed to them; but above all things be Temperate in Eating and Drinking, Moderate-in Labour and Exercise, for these are main Contribu­ters to Health; and indeed we need not be behol­ding to Out-landish Drugs, if we rightly consider we have sufficient of our own, and that God in his Goodness has so Ordered it, that Nature in every place produces Remedys, suitable to the Diseases of the Climate.

How to Dyet, and Order our Bodys, for the preservation of Health, for every Month in the Year; the most Approved Rules.

IT will (among these useful things) be highly Necessary to speak something of the Ordering of Man's Body, during the Circle of the Year, un­der the several signs and planets that Govern them, and dispose to Health or Sickness, more at one time than another: The first part of the Year, that is from the 25th. of December, till the 25th. of March, is under Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, Signs part­ly Moist, and partly Dry; and those born under them, are subject to Diseases of that Nature: There­fore from

Of BEES.
A Treatise of Bees, how to Order, Preserve, Swarm, Gather their Honey, and all other Matters Relating to them.

THE Bee though a Creature Numbered among Insects, is exceeding useful to Man, their Wax and Honey being Commodities, Trafficable in all Nations; yet are they a Nice, Choice Creature, and without much Dilligence and Care, cannot be brought to any extraordinary Perfection, to the Pro­fit and Advantage of the Owners, which being pro­per to this Undertaking (for the general good) I shall for the Instruction of those that are Ignorant in it, lay down Choice Rules and Directions how they should be Ordered, to Preserve and Encrease their Stocks, that so in a little time they may turn to the great Profit of the Owners.

First, In the Choice of your Stock, see they be Little, Lively, and Smooth; for those that are Rough and Unsightly will never prove well; above all, if you can see the Master Bee, or King, consider if he be Long and Shining, bedashed with Golden Spots, and Cheerful; for on him mainly depends the Welfare of the whole Stock; for if he be Rough, Drooping, and Sluggish, the Rest will be Discouraged, Loyter, and never Work Cheerfully to fill their Combs.

Secondly, Observe the Swarm be Whole and Great, which you may know by looking into the Hive, or observing great Numbers, clustering about the Mouth of it; but if this way fail, put your Mouth to the Mouth of the Hive, and Blow in, and if you are An­swered by a great Humming Noise, then it is a Full. [Page 94] stock; but with a Little Faint one, then but a Weak Thin stock.

Thirdly, Beware how you Transport them far, for the Change of the Air frequently Incommodes them; and if you cannot avoid this, to Remedy it, place the Hives on convenient Stools, in pleasant Gardens, or scatter sweet smelling, and wholsome Herbs, and Flowers, about their Hives, in Removing, beware of Josling, for that Disorders their Combs, and puts them so out of Humour, that they will scarcely stay where you place them, to carry them in Sheets on Poles, cross Mens shoulders, is the easiest way; the best time to Remove them is in April, and let the place you Remove them to, be as like that in Scitu­ation you Removed them from, as may be; and upon a Remove, open them not in the Day time, that so Resting in the Night, they may settle them­selves, and finding their Hive open the next Morn­ing go the quieter to Work: However, for two or three Days observe them, that finding themselves in a strange Place, they take not Wing, and leave you; for if they go all Out of the Hive, it is an Ill sign they are gadding.

Fourthly, In placing your Bees, observe it be so, that in Winter and Spring, the Face of the Hives they are to come out at, may stand to the Rising Sun; and so order the Matter, that in Winter they be not expo­sed to too much Cold; nor in Summer to too much Heat, place them (above all things) in a Whol­some Air, where such Plants, Herbs, and Flowers are Growing near, as best agree with them; as Time, Cassa, Rosemary, Wild Marjarum, Wild Time, Saffron, bean Flowers, Mellilot, Poppys, Roses, &c. As for Yew Cornel, Sprig-lawrel, Cucumbers, Goards, Elins, and all bitter Herbs and Flowers are Enemys to them.

[Page 95] Fifthly, They Thrive better on Rising Ground, where the Air is free and open, than in close Valleys, yet love to be near Springs of purling Waters, that are not deep, and in such places where they Sip, throw in Spray Wood, that they may lye above the Water; so that if they chance to drop in, they may get out again by that help.

Sixthly, Place their Hives in three Ranks, standing a Yard one above the other, and keep from them as much as may be, all hurtful Creatures, that De­stroy the Bees, or Spoil their Honey; as Red-brests, Toads, Wood-peckers, Moths, Hornets, Lizards, Swallows, Spi­ders, Sparrows, butter-flys, Snakes, Snailes, Wasps, and the like; and so profitable are these little Creatures, that if it be a seasonable Spring and Summer, their Honey may he taken three times a Year, as in some Countrys it is frequently observed, viz. The latter end in May, the end of July, and the beginning of september; but to leave them a Winter Supply, the best is only to take it in May and August, for then they Rest, and Live upon part of what they got in Summer; and if they Want, you must be compel­led to Feed them, by putting gingerly in little hol­low Canes or Kexes, shivered like Troughs, filled with Honey or sugar, and Water Boiled together, or they will Perish (e'er they can get out to Work again) for want of Food; you may also put in for their Food, bruised Raisons, Figgs, Currans, or any Sweets that are Wholsome in Taste and Scent: If the Weather be open, after the 10th. of March, you may let them Abroad, then will they Frame New Combs; and that done, begin to Breed, then they Labour hard for their Honey.

Seventhly, If the Hive, by reason of the Young Brood, be over-charged, which is perceived by their [Page 96] Clustering about the Mouth of it, and the great Humming Noise within; prepare New Hives, rub­ed with sweet herbs, and Watch the coming forth of the Young Fry, from 8 to 12 in the Morning, lest they take Wing, and be gone; and if they refuse to come forth, with the Fume of Galbanum, you may Drive the whole stock; and if they have two Kings, they will settle separate from each other, and so Hive each by themselves; or if the stock be Decay­ed, you may Incorporate two hives in one, if you Kill one of the Master Bees, else there will be con­tinual Wars, till they Consume one another: If at any time you see them draw out to Flight, it is but casting up some Dust among them, and the Fray will end.

Ninthly, To know when the Combs are full, Watch if they Drive out the Drones, which is a sign, and soon after you will see them Playing about the hive, Rejoycing and Neglecting their Work; but in no wise take the Combs before full, for that Displeases the Bees.

The Warreners Instructor; or a Treatise of Coneys, their Ordering to Preserve, and Encrease them, Dis­eases, and Remedys.

SInce many times (in Coney Warrens) many Mis­fortunes happen to that little Creature so use­ful to Man, I shall (in this Useful Book) set down what must needs be grateful to such as have the Care of them, that their Wool may be good, they Breed kindly, and abundantly, be Fat, and preser­ved from the Diseases Incident to them, which generally are but two kinds, viz. Rot and Mad­ness.

[Page 97] To preserve them then in the Frosty winter, when the Snow lyes much on the Ground, and they cannot well come at the Grass, or any Herbs, to sustain them, provide your self well with the Sprigs of Birch, Oke, and Hazle, to scat­ter in the Warren; for this Bark, before the Sap be much gone out of it, is the best, not only to feed them in some degree, but proves Physical and bind­ing, to keep them from watry Distempers, mak­ing them also thrive, by giving them an Appetite to such other food, as they can get, Turnit Tops, Peashame, with dryed Pease in the pods, and sprinkling of Parsley is Exceeding good for them; for in the sharpest time of Winter, when least is to be got, they feed best, and the reason is; because then the Frost biting the Foggy Grass, makes it sweeter, and more pleasant to them, than at other times, besides the sharpness of the Air whets their Appetites.

In their Increase they are abundant, bringing forth their Young once every Month, usually Three or Four at a time, and sometimes more; for as soon as the Doe is Disburthened, she presently tak­eth Buck again, and when she has Kindled, conceals her Young from the Buck, as secretly as she can, lest he should destroy them, which, when they are very Young he is apt to do, but so soon as they can run about, they are out of that danger; I need not tell you what profit their Furs, and flesh, bring to man, every one (in a manner) knowing there is great advantage by it; they are on all hands con­cluded to be creatures of much hardiness, but not long Lived, they much delight to Earth them­selves in a Loamy Ground, mixed with Sand; so that it is very well binding, and no Springs in it to [Page 98] hinder their working or earthing themselves, for wet is a great enemy to them, and moist Burrows, with their Dampness, or Mustiness, cause the Rot amongst them, which soon thins the Warren, by sweeping them away in great Numbers, though, in a Clay mixed with a little Gravel, Exempted from such Wet or Dampness, they thrive best, and are the Largest, and Fullest; fine short sweet Hay, in Winter, layed near the mouths of their Holes, is a great comfort to them, both to preserve them from Diseases, by drying up the over much moisture they contract, and making them feed the better, so Exempted from Sickness: The cause of Madness is caused by wind and wet, which getting in great quantity into the porous parts of the Body, arises by Vapours, to the Brain, and causes a Frenzy, or Madness in the Creature, which is known by its tumbling and rowling about, when out of the Burrow, and particularly tumbling over its Head, and bouncing about in an unusual posture: and this Kills many of them; therefore, when this Sign appears, apply the following Remedy, and the Distemper will cease.

A Cure for Madness in Coneys.

TAke Sweet Hay, cut it a little, but not too short, let it be as dry as possibly you can get it, mix with it Hare-Thistle, an Herb so called, and scatter a little fine dry Bran amongst it, and lay it near their Burrows, if it be in Winter, Snowey weather, sweep the Ground clean where you lay it, or put it into the mouth of the Burrows lightly, so as not to stop them up, that they may come to it without coming abroad to Expose them­selves [Page 99] to the Cold Air, and this will restore them from this Distemper.

A Cure for the Rot in Coneys.

THe other Disease Incident to these Creatures, is the Rot, the more dangerous of the two, because it sweeps more fatally: This comes when it is very Moist and Rainey, in the Spring or Au­tumn; for then much water hanging on the Grass (in their feeding) they suck it in, which softening their Flesh with a kind of a Dropsical Watery Hu­mour, which also gets between the Skin and the Flesh, putrefying the Liver, &c. and so causes them to dye of the Rot; to Remedy this, give them Parsley, dryed Hay, and Hare-Thistle, lay warm Litter near their Holes, with Boughs over it to shelter themselves in at pleasure, against the wet and fogs, or moist winds, &c. and renew it as often as it grows wet or musty; and when the Snow lyes on the ground, Shovel and sweep it from their Bur­rows, that they may come at the Grass: And thus have I briefly shewed you how to manage these pro­fitable Creatures, to keep them in good case, cause them to Breed well, and to be free from the sickness incident to them; which cannot but prove profita­ble to one or other of my Readers, though not to all.

To keep and order Hares in Warrens, or Tame them in all respects as the Coney.

AS for Hares, if kept Tame, or in Warrens, they may be ordered in all respects as the Coney, they being much of the same nature, and their Diseases the same; but seeing many are desi­rous [Page 100] to find them wild in the Fields for their Sport, and advantage of getting them, and are Ignorant of their haunts, and there forms, whereby they lose much labour in a fruitless fearch, and are often disappointed, I thought in convenient to say some­thing as to this particular, a thing desired of me by so many.

When you goe about to find a Hare, that you may not lose your Labour, but be more certain in the Event; If you attempt to do it, go not into the thickest of the Cover, but to be more certain, beat the Bushey close, or Shruby Ground Adjacent: For if you should find a Hare in a close Woody Cover, you will hardly bring her out to shew you Sport, and consequently lose her; but if you find her in the Shrubs, she will, when Started, or Chased, immediately take to the Champion ground, because a Hare naturally delights not in Cover, till she is tired, and therefore the Champion grounds are the most likely places to find them, and Run them down; and in such grounds resort to the Goss, Brakes, low Brambles, or Broom; and if they afford no such shelter, repair to the Stubble at the beginning of Hunting time, and about Christmas to the Fallows, and in March to the Green Corn, and in these places the best Hares haunt, and are usually to be found, and many times you may find a Form when the Hare is absent, or gone abroad a feeding, and if you would know whether she haunts it, or has left it, take these Directions.

To know the New or Old Form, whether Retained by a Hare or left, her Shifts, &c.

THis is a main point to be Discovered, therefore mark in your search very narrowly the fol­lowing Directions, to know if it be New or Old, observe if the form or seat be plain and smooth, the Pad before it flat and worn, and the Pricks of her feet so New and Plain to be discovered, that the Earth appears black, or so Newly broken, that the Hare cannot be long gone, then the Form is new, she is not far from it, nor will delay long returning, unless frighted away by some Accident; but the contrary appearing, it is old, and if you ex­pect any advantage by it, you will in all likelyhood lose your labour; and another thing is worthy of Remark, and that is, the Hare has divers Slights and Shifts to avoid pursuit, as her Windings and Doublings, you must also, when she is pursued, observe her Leaps and Skips, before she Squats, and beat the places most likely to give her shelter, for being reduced to these hard shifts, she is tired, come, to her last cast, and can hold out but a little longer for she never uses them till she finds her strength so failing her, that she grows heartless, and has but this way to hope avoiding the pursuers.

To know whether a Coney or Rabit be Old or Young, or New or Stale Killed, &c.

THis is a Nice point, and many have been decei­ved in it, and therefore having treated of these Creatures in other matters, this as very use­ful, will be convenient enough to set down in the close of it.

[Page 102] If a Coney be old, her Claws are very long and rough, and long greyish hairs will stand out amongst the wool; but young, and a right Coney or Rabit, it will have a small gristly knot on the out side of the Foot, a little above the Joynt, the Claws middleing and smooth, and no grey hairs appearing; pinch the inside of the Belly, and it will break tender, but if it be old, in pinching it will be tough & ruckle up.

If stale killed, it will be limber, the Skin taken off, the Flesh look blueish, and have a kind of a slime upon it; but if new killed it will be stiff, and the Flesh white and dry.

To know whether a Hare be old or young, new or stale killed, and whether a Hare or Leveret?

A Hare if New and Clean Killed, will have the Flesh of it White and Stiff, but if Stale, in many places will be Blackish and Limber, if the Cleft of her Lips spread much, and her Claws be blunt, and ragged, she is Old, but if the contrary appears, then is she Young.

As for the Leveret, as to her being New or Stale Killed, the Marks and Signs are the same with the Hare; but to know whether she be a true Leveret or a Hare, requires another Mark to distinguish it, viz. Feel with your Thumb and Finger on the fore Leg, near the Foot, and if there you find a small Knob, or Bone standing out, it is then a true Leve­ret; but if no such thing appear, then it is a Hare, and if you take it otherways, however it may be vouched to the contrary, you are infallibly impo­sed on, if you take it for any other than what I have mentioned; And thus much for these sort of Crea­tures, bringing great profit and pleasure to this Na­tion, more particularly than to any other.

The Faulconers Choice Instructor, or the best way to Manage, Mew, Feed, Purge, Succour, and Keep Hawks to Fly at all Sorts of Game, and to do what ever is Requisite for their Preservation, well Ordering, & to make them Expert in what they are Designed for, or Required to Perform.

Of Hawks in General, and what Game they most Properly Fly at.

AS for Hawks, they are properly held to be of two Kinds, the Long and Short Winged; the [Page 104] first of these are Comprized in the Ger-Faulcon, Faul­con Gentle, the Sare, and Lainer, the Merlin; Hobby, and Barbary Faulcon; the latter in the Goss Hawk, Terril, or Tarcell; of the Goss Hawk, the Musket, & Sparrow Hawk.

The Faulcon Gentle is accounted the best, and is indifferently Trained either at the River or Field, for his Flight at Water or Land fowl, as at the Mallard, Duck, Pheasant, Partridge, &c. The Ger-faulcon, is proper for the Heron; the Sare, at the Bittern, or Crane; the Lainer at the Pheasant, Partridge, and such like Birds; the Barbary Faulcon Flys seldom well at any thing but the Partridge; the Hobby and Marlin make their Flights at the Partridge, but chiefly at the Lark, and other Small Birds; the Sparrow-hawk will take the Partridge, Black-bird, Thrush, and other Small Birds; the Goss Hawk or Tercell, Flys at the Hare, Pheasant, Partridge, &c. The Musket is only proper to Fly at the Bush; and thus much for their Flights: The next thing to be Considered, is, the well Ordering and Manageing them.

How to Order Hawks taken from the Cage, &c.

HE that has the Ordering of Hawks from the Cage, must Bath them with Warm Water and Pepper; which will free them from Lice, Nits, or any Vermin they Breed, that hinders their Thriving; then Feed them well, that they may grow Lusty, to Oppose incroaching Diseases Incident to them, and then Observe (after every Flight) whether at their proper Prey, the Lure or Train give the Hawks a Casting, if a long Winged Hawk, Flannel is proper, if short Winged, let it be Phumage, and keep them [Page 105] very Sweet and Clean, then, unless in the Days of Bathing Weather, take the Hawk abroad in the Evening, and take Care that you Feed him not on two several Meats at once, and above all let him have no Salt Meat, nor that which is too Fat.

If you intend to make a Flight at the Field upon the first Springing of the Game, Cast off your Hawk, especially when he has a Ready Judgment to pre­vent the Stealing away of the Prey, and his Eyes quick about him to Discern the least Motion.

If you intend to make a Flight for Prey at the River, Cast him off before he comes, near the Fowl, neither let him see it before he is at his full Pitch, then after the Fowl has been twice or thrice Enewed cross it, and after the Hawk has Killed her, give him for Encouragement the Head, Gizard, Heart, Neck, and Leggs.

To Manage your Hawk after the best way, to keep him from Sleeping, you must frequently carry him upon your Fist, often Stroaking him, and to Please him the better, have constantly with you the Wing of a Dead Fowl, that the may Tug at it, Chear him with your Voice and Looks, and so he will become Pleased, and Familliar, and use him in the like Manner to be Acquainted with the Horse and Dogs, so that he may become Bold and Fearless.

How to bring your Hawk to the Lure.

TO bring your Hawk to the Lure, do it by De­grees, and not Hastily, as in the first place, to Jump on your Fist, and after that to the Lure, then Cherrish him with your Voice, and give him somthing to Encourage him, that in time he may be Obedient to every Call, so that upon the sound of your Call, or [Page 106] the sight of the Lure, he may readily comply with your Desire; and when he does it, give him some part of the Fowl, but if he Refuses, Fasting will bring him to Obedience, by abating his Stubbornness for self Interest.

As for the Short Winged Hawks, you need but on­ly Call them to your Fist, and as for the Lure and Variety of Loud Voices, requisit to the other, it is In­different to them, for Cheriping will bring them to Fist, and make them Familiar and Obedient.

The Proper time for Lureing, is Morning and Eve­ning, when the more to Tempt and Delight him, hang Bloody Meat about the Lure, and when he is Perfect at these things, Carry him abroad, the Wea­ther being Fair, and let him Bath himself in some Clear Spring, as Deep as will take him to the middle of the Thighs, taking off his Hood, and Padling to make him the apter to Sprinkle himself, or you may set a shallow Vessel of Water, covering the bottom with Gravel and Sand, and so it may be done in any Place.

To Enseam Hawks, and otherways Order them: To Enure them to Flight, &c.

TO Enseam your Hawk, take the following Di­rections, viz. Give him two or three Bits of Hot Meat in the Morning, but none at Night, and in this Case the Flesh of Rooks or Crows is exceeding good, first washed in Water, and every four Days a Hens Neck, Washed and Cut, and so Order him till the Pynions of his Wings feel soft, then give him a Casting (as before Directed) and somtimes a Live Trained Pidgeon, let him be long and often upon the Wing, so that his Grease and Foulness may Dissolve, when that is done.

[Page 107] Take three Pellets of the Roots of Sallendine, an herb so called, steep them in Syrup of Roses, and let him Swallow them, which will Purge away the Foulness and Overplus of Grease, Enabling him thereby to be Lively, Nimble, and make a good Flight.

When he is Maned, Lured, and Enseamed, then is your proper time to bring him to the Flight, which if it happen to be at the Pheasant or Partridge, in Woody, or much Inclosed Ground, then upon Lureing him, Cast the Lure into some Bush, or low Tree, that you may bring him to a stand, then draw it out, and give him Notice, that he may Sieze it: Feed him daily on the Ground, under some Shrubs or Bushes.

When you first Fly him at the Game, it must be at such as are Young, the Easier to be Taken and Mastered for his Encouragement, but if it be a Long Winged Hawk you Fly in Champion Ground, do what you can to keep him from the Stand, and Maintain him on the Wing, till you or your Dogs have Sprung the Game under him, when having the Advantage of Stooping, he may the easier Strike and Subdue it; but if you would be for sure Killing, more than for Sport, to Encourage your Hawk, first Spring the Game, and Mark it; when being come to the Mark, Cast him off, and when he is got to his Height, lay in your Spannels, that so you may Retreive the Game Underneath him; and after this Rule, with little Variation, Fly all Manner of Long Winged Hawks.

The Management of Hawks in their Flight, and Particularly to Fly at the River.

AS for Short Winged Hawks, it will be Proper to Fly them from the Fist only, and to make them Bold and Couragious, Hide a Partridge, or such Fowl as they take, under a Hat, or some such thing, and when you have well Managed the Hawk, let go the Train, and Cast off the Hawk, whilst your Span­nels are upon the Range.

To make the Flight at the River, and the Hawk Expert at it, Whistle off a Hawk, that has been well Experienced, and is a Sure Killer, suffering him so long to Enew the Fowl, till he bring her to the Plunge; then having taken him down, Reward him for his Encouragement, then set him by to be ready on Oc­casion, and Whistle off the Young Hawk, and when he is at the Height of his Gaile, and make him (by often shewing it him) Familiar with the Water, and at any time when he Looks out to make him more Inward, Call him with the Gibbit Call, and so Or­der him, till you have brought him over the Fowl, and make in, on both sides the Water, where the Game is, with your Company, and lay forth your Fowl, which if the Hawk Strike and Truss, make presently in, and helping; so Crossing or Breaking the Wings of the Fowl, that he may Secure her, & take his Pleasure of her; but if on the first stoop he Kill her, not suffer him again to take his Gail, lay the Fowl forth as you did before, & Continue so to do, till it is Landed, then for his Encouragement Reward him with the Neck, Gizard, and heart; butifit happen the first Fowl (by strength) Escape him, flying him Immediately on another more weak, lest, by be­ing [Page 109] baulked, he grow faint hearted, and Dastardly in the attempt for ever after.

A Plain and Easie Introduction to the most curious Art, and Healthful Exercise of Ringing Musically on 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. or 9. Bells.

SInce the Knowledge of this Art has been much desired by many, and is a very healthful as well as Pleasant Exercise, I have placed an Intro­duction to Young Ringers in this so useful a Book of Rarityes, though at first sight it may appear a Digression from the rest, however, since I designed this work to fit every one as near as may be, I can­not but Conclude that this will be desired by many, and can be hurtful to none.

[Page 110] The Invention of Ringing is Mathematical, pro­duceing wonderful Effects, as I shall shew in the Sequel.

Of the Changes.

THe Number of Changes are thus to be Ordered, Two must first be Admitted to be varied two ways, and so to find out the Changes in Three, Two must be Multiplyed by Three, and so the Product will be Six, and that multiplyed by Four, will produce Twenty Four; which, for the Chang­es of Three, is the compleat Number, and the Six Multiplyed by Four will produce Twenty Four, the compleat Changes on Four, and these Multi­plyed by Five, produce 120, the compleat Changes on Five, and Multiply that 120 by Six, it will produce 720. And that makes the compleat Changes on 6 Bells, multiply this 720 by 7 and it produces 5040, and consequently as the Changes rise and fall, the Numbers are more or less, and may be carryed so high, that Arithmatick wants a Number to Name them; for an Age is not sufficient to Ring them out, though every Change shall Varie to Ad­miration.

[Page 111] As for Example, we admit the Figures 1 and 2 may be crossed in this manner 1. 2. and then 2. 1. thus allowed, though the Numbers are never so many, as on 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. or 9 Bells, the same figure thus set down a Thousand times, will Vary particularly on the three latter.

Of Peals.

THe Musicalness of the Changes not being very Intelligable to ordinary Ringers, and the best many times Puzled, and at a loss to find them out, the more Judicious Professors concluded it necessary to cast Peals, that so the Musical Notes might the better strike the Fancy, and lead them more sensible and easier to a true understanding in Ringing, rendering it (for their encouragement) the more taking and delightful; for every Peal on Bells Tuned to the Principals of Musick, express the Notes, for in a Peal of six Bells, you have ex­actly the six Musical Notes, viz. La. Sol. Fa. Mi-Re. Ut. but to make them charming and harmoni­ous, they must be struck with Skill and deliberation, gradually striking or leading with the lowest Note, and so rising up to the highest; and then down a­gain to the lowest, causing the Fourth Bell to Hunt up to the Seventh, and then dodg, unless prevented by the Treble, and so any other of the number Seven; so that, in the compleat num­ber of Changes of the first striking, there shall not be rung over twice the same; and in this doing, you must have a Musical Ear, and a steady hand, to observe the least Defect, and mend it; to [Page 112] mend or reverse it by dodging, or falling in course, as the Bells hunt up or down, by put­ting in between, or taking place in a com­pleat Harmony.

Of Cross Peals.

HAving already laid the ground work for plain Peals, to introduce the Learner, I now proceed to Cross Peals; These are so Ter­med, because of their intricacy, or Cross method, wherein divers Notes moving, as it were, at once, Cross each other, some moving up, and others down, at the same time; and that the Learner may the easier find it out, and Comply with it, let him observe, that One Note called the Hunt, is a Guide to the rest, making one constant mo­tion, and uniform throughout the Peals, differ­ing from that of the other Notes, though keep­ing a continual Motion through the several Notes strucken, viz. From the leading to the striking behind, and so thence to the Lead; which Mo­tion up and down, is reckoned the compleat Course, though some Peals on Five Bells, as the old Doubles, &c. consist only of single Courses, every single Course admitting to Changes; and twelve Courses are a compleat Peal: Other Peals on five Bells, as the London Paradox, &c. consists of Double Courses, 20. Changes going to every Course, and 6 double Courses to the Peal; but on 6 Bells there are double and single Courses, viz. 12 Changes in every single Course, as in Grandsire Eob, &c. The Change wherein the Hunt [Page 113] leaves Leading, is properly the first Change in eve­ry Course, and in Cross Peals all the Courses agree in three Respects (1) in the Motion of the Hunt, (2) in the Motion of the remaining Notes, (3) in making the Changes, which being exactly taken Notice of, may serve as a certain Guide to the Rest, some few Changes in each Peal Excepted.

The Example.

IN this Example I present the Learner with a Peal of New Doubles, only on 5 Bells, they being

the 3 First Courses of the Peal, wherein observe, that the last Change of the first Course, viz. 1. 3. 5. 2. 4. [Page 114] is set down again at the Top of the second Course, and likewise the last Change of the second Course, [...]. 1. 5. 4. 3. 2. takes place at the top of the third Course; so that Note, the lower-most Changes are the ten Changes of eace Course, and as to the Mo­tion, properly the first, the Hunt directly moves up behind, where twice lodging, it proceeds down again to lead, and there also lodges twice, as in the 3 Courses is demonstrated, also throughout the Peal, as the second, third, fourth and fifth Bells move through the first Course; so those Bells that are lodged in the second, third, fourth, and fifth places in the last Change of every Course, moves in like Manner, as through the next following Course, and by Moving, Change Places, as to the Rest not so well to be showed in Words, as Practice; for you must consider, in every cross Peal the Courses e­qually agree, viz. first, in the Motion of the Hunt; secondly, in that of the rest of the Notes; and third­ly, in the making the Changes.

Of Doubles and Singles on four Bells.

TO Ring 24 Doubles and Singles on 4 Bells, take Notice the Peal Consists equally of Dou­ble and Single Changes, the one Change double, and the other single throughout the Peal; the first is the Hunt, to the remaining 3 Extream Bells; the dou­ble Change is every time likewise made of the two first, & the two last Bells, every single Change of the two Midle ones, except when the first Leads, & then we term the Bells that are behind, the Extreams: All these Bells have direct Hunting Courses up and down, till the first Leads, then whilst the two hin­dermost [Page 115] make a Dodg, the Second lies still, and by this Method all the Bells proceed again in their Hunting Course, there being after this Manner 3 Extream Changes made: That is to say, the first every time the Hunt leads; the second, always when it lies behind; and the third, every time it leads, and lies behind.

The Peals called the Old Doubles and Singles on Five Bells.

IN performing this, observe that one Change must be Double, the next Single, and so in their Turns, till the Treble has the Direct Hunting Course, as in Case of the Plain Changes, every Double Change struck on the Four First Bells, considering the Treble to be One of the Two that makes every single Change, unless when it Leads, & then the single is in the Third and Fourth Place; but when the Two Bells lie next to the Treble, you must consider that behind to be the single Bell, which is called the Extream; and ob­serve, that every time the Treble leaves Leading, the Two first Bells are to continue Slow Dodging, till it be altered by the coming down of the Treble, which displaces them; and the Treble Moving down out of the Fifth Place, the Bell that comes into it must Remain Silent, till the Treble Hunts up to it again, except when the Extream Change is made behind, every Bell lys twice together in the Third and Fourth Place, except upon the Trebles Leading, and likewise when it hinders them in Hunting.

The Old Trebles and Doubles on Six Bells.

HERE Mark that one Change is Treble, and the other Double, and so in Order, except One single at the End of every sixth Change, every Treble Change being made on the Two First, Two Middlemost, and the Two Last Bells, and every Double on the Four Middle Bells, except in Case when the Hunt Leads, for then it must be upon the Four hindermost, the Treble here being the Hunt, making a Direct Hunt­ing Course up and down, as in plain Changes, as like­wise must be considered in the Rest, unless when the Treble Leads, and then such Bells as were Hunt­ing up, except that in the Second Place, makes a Dodg with the next Bell beneath it, and so again pro­ceeds forward in its Course up, and every Individual Bell, that at the same time was Hunting down, makes a Dodg with the next Bell that is above it, and then proceeds downward in its Course; and such a Method carrys on the Peal five Courses of the Hunt, which makes 60 Changes: And thus having briefly given you the Ground Work of Ringing, with a little Variation and Practice you may Frame your self to any sort of Ringing, and carry the Matter as high as you will, upon 7. 8. or 9. Bells, having a Musical Ear, and a Steady Hand, and being Circumspect in what you are about, and Marking those that are Ex­pert in it, how they Order the Management of it.

How a Country-man may know how much Hay or Corn his Barn will hold before it be put in.

THIS has been desired by many, especially upon taking Barns, and Out-houses, where they de­sire to know how they will Answer the Stores De­singed to be lay'd up in them; and for their Satis­faction, I have here found out an Easy way to In­form them, if they know never so little of Arith­matick.

To be Satisfied herein, Multiply the Hight to the Beam into the Breadth, and that Product by the Length, the whole Divided into 20. and so the Quo­tient readily shews the Loads to the Beam; and then for the Roof, Multiply half the Depth into the Breadth at the Beam, and that Product by the Length, then Work as before, and adding it to the other, you will soon be satisfied in what you Desire; and those that Understand not Figures, may Easily get any Body that does to do it (by this Rule) in a few Minutes, and In­form them to their Satisfaction.

The Measure that ought to be in Cords or Stacks of Wood.

TO Measure Wood for Fuel, Plank, or Timber go­ing to a Load, is Necessaary to be known in the Management of Country Affairs, for at one time or other the Honest Country-man cannot but stand in Need of such Knowledge to Advantage him; where­fore I here set it down.

A Cord of Wood ought to be 4 Foot Over, 8 Long, and 4 Deep, making in all 128 Cubick Feet.

A Stack of Wood ought to be 3 Foot Over, 3 Deep, and 12 Foot in Length, which makes 108 Cubick-feet, and to a Load of Solid Timber there goes 50 Foot, a Cubick-foot Contains 1728 Inches, a Cubick-yard, 27 Cubick-feet, or 46656 Inches.

200 Foot of 2 Inch Plank, 200 Foot of 3 Inch Plank, 115 foot of 4 Inch Plank, 400 foot of One Inch and half Plank, or 600 foot of 1 Inch, make either of them a Load of Plank, in True Account, &c.

To tell what is a Clock (when the Sun Shines) by ones Hand.

TAKE a Small Straight Stick of about Four Inches Long, and hold it between the Fore­finger and the Thumb, of the Left Hand, and turn about towards the Sun, till the Shadow of the Ball of the Thumb touch the Line of Life, and then the Shadow of the Stick will appear on that part of the Hand, which tells the Right Hour of the Day &c. Approved by Mr. Saunders.

[Page 120]

A Catalogue of the Markets, and the Days they are kept on in the several Counties and Shires in England and Wales.

An exact Catalogue of the fixed and moveable Fairs, held Yearly in England and Wales; the days and times of their continuance; the like for exactness, never before Published.

THE Fairs are of two sorts, as to the Times of their being held; some are fixed to a cer­tain day; others change their days, or are move­able with the Feasts: Therefore, since no exact Account, as we know of, has been hitherto gi­ven, we shall labour to satisfie the curiofity of those, whose Pleasure or Advantage tends that way; and for those that are fixed, take them, for the more regular way, in their Month.

An exact Catalogue of the Moveable Fairs, with their exact Times and Places.

AT Northampton from Christmass to June e­very wednesday. Monday after Twelfth-day at Buckingham. At Hinkley three mondays after twelfth-day. At Melton-mowbrav and Salisbury the tuesday after Twelfth day for horses: the thursday after Twelfth-day at Banbury and Lutterworth, and for three weeks every thursday after at Litchfield: the friday after Twelfth-day at Newcastle-under-line. On [Page 143] Shrove-monday at Candene. In Glocestershire on Ash-wednesday; and the same day at Dunstable, Chichester, Eaton, Exeter, Folkingham, Litchfield, Royston, Tamworth, Tunbridge. On the first thursday in Lent at Banbury: the first monday in Lent at Abington, Winchester, Chichester, Chersey: the first tuesday in Lent at Bedford.

At Charlebury on Michaelmas day, St. Thomas's day, second friday in Lent. On the third monday in Lent at Stamford for horses: On midlent sun­day at Odiham, Saffron-Walden and Stamford: the friday and saturday before the first sunday in Lent at Hartford: the first sunday in Lent at Hexcomb, Grantham, Sudbury and Salisbury.

The tuesday after midlent-sunday at Leomin­ster: the monday before Lady day at Wisbich, Kendale and Denbigh: wednesday before Lady­day at Dolton: the thursday before Lady day at Yarmouth: On St. Matthew's day at Cricklade.

The tuesday seven-night before Palm-sunday, St. Luke's day at New-market: the wednesday before Palm-thursday at Drayton; and the thurs­day before it at Landissel.

On Palm-sunday at Leicester, Newport, Ales­bury, Wisbich, Skipton and Pomfract: On the same at Billinsworth, Lancaster, Kendale, Wor­cester, Llaundaren: the tuesday after at Wake­field.

The monday before Easter at Ledbury: tues­day before Easter, and St. Barnaby's day at Selby.

Monday, tuesday and wednesday before Easter at Marsh, the same day at Ludlow: the thursday before Michaelmas: the thursday before Easter, and the thursday before St. Thomas's day at Ketter­ing: [Page 144] the monday before St. John Baptist at Soham: the wednesday in Easter week at Mass-Gate; mon­day, wednesday and thursday in Easter week at Sosings: On saint Peter and saint Paul at Rid­bury.

On the Eve and Feast of saint Peter and saint Paul at Barkstrange; Also on the Eve and Feast of saint Martin.

On the monday in Easter week, and monday before saint Thomas's day at Thornbury.

At Cateline and Llanvillan on the wednesday before Easter, and on the wednesday and thurs­day before at Wallingford, Kettering and Sud­minster.

On Good friday at Burnhil, Amptil, Brewer­ton, Charing, Berry, Enfield, Guilford, Hunting­ton, Hatfield, Ipswich, Melian, Lougher, Nutley, saint Pombs, Risborough and Roborough.

On Easter monday at Onay, Buck, Dryfield, and Gainsborough: On tuesday at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Dantry, Braleis, Dorchester, Oxen. North­street, Hitching, Roachford and Sambich.

On Easter wednesday at Wellingborough and Beverly: On friday in Easter at Derby, the next day at Skipton in Craven. The second monday after Easter at New Malton

Monday, tuesday and wednesday after Easter at Chudley, and on the wednesday at Hereford.

At Lodness every wednesday after Easter, Mar­tlemas day. At Inglestwait, monday before Holy­thursday. Buckland, All Souls day, tuesday after Pentecost.

At Bricklesworth, Evesham and Newcastle-under-line, on monday after Low-sunday.

At Lough in Lincolnstire the third sunday after Easter.

[Page 145] At Beverly, Englefield, Lane. Rech in Roga­tion week.

On Enmore Green the first tuesday in every month.

Green street on tuesday before Ascension day. At Weobly on Ascension day, and thursday three weeks after.

At Ross on Ascension day, and the thursday after Trinity sunday.

On Ascension Eve at Abergelly and Darkin.

On Ascension day at Bread-street in Kent, Bew­maris, Bridgend, Brimmingham, Chapple-Frith, Burton on Trent, Eccleshal, Chapple-Kinnow, Egglestrew, St. Eedes, Hallaton in Leicest. Lut­terworth, Kidderminster, Middlewich, Newcastle, Newbury, Penhole, Rone, Rippon, Stopport, Stratford upon Avon, Sudminster, Yarnwigg and the Vizes.

At Burlington and Thaxsted the sunday after Ascension day.

At Shrewsbury the wednesday after, and at Ruthin the friday after.

On Whitsun-Eve at New-Inn, Rats-dale, Wis­bich, Skipton in Craven.

On Whit-sunday at Kirk by Stephen, Cribby, Lenham, Rutsdale, Ryhill and Salisbury.

On Whit-monday at Bromyard, Kingston and Grays tuesdays and wednesdays.

At Ormiskirk monday and tuesday in Whitsun­week, and on the monday at Lambyron, Chip­ping, Agmondsham, Appleby, Amersom, Brad­ford, Bricklesworth, Burton in Lane: Chichester, Cockermouth, Datterington, Evesham, Exeter, Dyfield, Linton, St. Ives, Harts-green, Rigate, Owndle, Midlome, Sleford, Salford, Sittingboun, Whichurch and Stockelter.

[Page 146] On Whit-tuesday at Canterbury, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Elesmere, Daintree, Epping, Leighton-Buz. Knotsford high. Louguir, Lewis, Llaninthebury, Midhurst, Monmouth, Melton Mobray, Oring­stock, Rochford, Perith.

On the wednesday in Whitsun-week at Royston, Sand-Bar, Pont-Stephen, Newark on Trent, Libe­don, Llandeby and Leek

On thursday the same week at saint Austel, Kingstone and Chacklefield.

On the friday at Stow in Guillin, Derby and Cogshal.

On Trinity Eve at Skipton in Craven, Rowel and Pomfract.

On Trinity sunday at South haven, Stokely, saint Mary Awk, Kemdale, Rowel.

On Trinity monday at Raleigh, Houndslow, Ruilly, Cresswell, Waterford, Usk, the Vizes, Spilsby and Tunbridge.

On the tuesday after at Radnor and Abergaven­ny, and the wednesday after at Aberfrow.

On the day of Corpus Christi at Sanbury, saint Anns, Bishop-Stratford, Catewid, Bremicham, Hallatan, Egiestrew, Haligh, Kidderminster, Hamp­stead, Llanwist, Llammerchimeth, Newbury, Neath, saint Neots, Newport in Montgomeryshire, Stopport, Prescot and Ross.

On the friday after at Coventry and Chep­stow.

On the sunday after at Stamford and Bolton.

The sunday after the third of July at Haveril, and the sunday fortnight after Midsummer at Fothe­ring Hay.

On the first sunday after saint Bartholomews day at Samphbick and Ashford, and the thursday [Page 147] before at St. Michaels at Kettering. The monday after saint Mich. at Faseley, saint Faith's by Nor­wich. Saint Michaels, and on the tuesday after at Salisbury. On the thursday at Banbury, and the friday before Simon and Jude at Litchfield; and on the thursday before saint Thomas's day at Ketterring; Stafford, saint Peters day.

This Table is easie, and wants no Explanati­on, and turned backward, it is Farthings into Pence; Pence into Shillings; and Shillings into Pounds, which at first sight may be thus com­puted.